The 21st meeting of the U.S.-Armenia Joint Economic Taskforce (USATF) took place on October 18, 2012 in Yerevan. The U.S. delegation was chaired by Eric S. Rubin, Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs and Daniel Rosenblum, Coordinator of U.S. Assistance to Europe and Eurasia, while the Armenian delegation was led by Vache Gabrielyan, the Republic of Armenia’s Minister of Finance. Officials from other U.S. government agencies participated in the meeting, including the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and the U.S. Agency for International Development.
The U.S. and Armenian delegations agreed to cooperate on several initiatives to bolster bilateral trade and investment between the two countries. This year’s discussions focused on creating a better environment for promoting business and emphasized several sectors, including: tax and customs policy, fair and equitable competition, and respect for intellectual property rights. In addition, the governments of Armenia and the United States signed a Memorandum of Understanding concerning Cooperation in the Energy Sector.
The USATF, which was first convened in 2000, provides a forum to further economic cooperation between our two countries, discuss trade and investment issues, advance financial and market reforms in Armenia, and identify opportunities for the U.S. and Armenia to work together to foster long-term economic development.
