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EMBASSY/CONSULATE ADDRESSES

Principal U.S. Embassy Officials

Ambassador: Vacant

Embassy: Armenia is at 1 American Avenue, Yerevan.

Mailing Address: Use Embassy Address

Telephone: 374-10-46-47-00

Fax: 374-10-46-47-42.


Embassy of Armenia in Washington, DC

Ambassador: Marie L. Yovanovitch

Embassy: 2225 R Street, NW, Washington, DC, 20008

Mailing Address: Use Embassy Address

Telephone: 202-319-1976

Fax: 202-319-2984.


Embassy and Consulate Web Sites for Armenia

Embassy of Armenia in Washington DC, U.S.A.

Embassy of the United States of America in Yerevan, Armenia




FOREIGN RELATIONS

Armenia is a member of the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the European Neighborhood Program of the EU, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), NATO's Partnership for Peace, the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation organization (BSEC), the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, the International Monetary Fund, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the World Trade Organization.

Turkey-Armenia Relations

Turkey closed its border with Armenia in 1993 as a show of support for Azerbaijan in the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. On October 10, 2009, the Foreign Ministers of Turkey and Armenia signed normalization protocols that called for the opening of the Turkey-Armenia border, establishing diplomatic relations, and the creation of a number of sub-commissions addressing bilateral issues. However, the protocols have not yet been ratified by either country, and Armenia formally suspended parliamentary consideration of the protocols on April 22, 2010. The Armenian Government stressed its willingness to reactivate the process “when there is a proper environment in Turkey and there is leadership in Ankara ready to reengage in the normalization process.”

Nagorno-Karabakh

In 1988, the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, a predominantly ethnic Armenian enclave within Azerbaijan, voted to secede and join Armenia. This act was the catalyst that led Armenia and Azerbaijan into a full-scale armed conflict that claimed the lives of over 30,000 on both sides. Armenian support for the separatists led to an economic embargo by Azerbaijan, which has had a negative impact on Armenia's foreign trade and made imports of food and fuel, three-quarters of which previously transited Azerbaijan under Soviet rule, more expensive.

Peace talks in early 1993 were disrupted by the seizure of Azerbaijan's Kelbajar district by Nagorno-Karabakh Armenian forces and the forced evacuation of thousands of ethnic Azeris. Turkey in protest then followed with an embargo of its own against Armenia. A cease-fire was declared between Azerbaijani and Armenian/Nagorno-Karabakh forces in 1994 and has been maintained by both sides since then in spite of occasional shooting along the line of contact. All Armenian governments have thus far resisted domestic pressure to recognize the self-proclaimed independence of the "Nagorno-Karabakh Republic," while at the same time announcing they would not accept any peace accords that returned the enclave to Azerbaijani rule. Approximately 572,000 of the estimated 800,000 ethnic Azeris who fled during the Karabakhi offensives still live as internally displaced persons in Azerbaijan (according to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, quoting Azerbaijani Government statistics, June 2008), while roughly 4,700 of 360,000 ethnic Armenians who fled Azerbaijan since 1988 remain refugees.

Negotiations to peacefully resolve the conflict have been ongoing since 1992 under the aegis of the Minsk Group of the OSCE. The Minsk Group is currently co-chaired by the U.S., France, and Russia. Negotiations have intensified since 2004. Robert Bradtke became U.S. Co-Chair in 2009.

DEFENSE AND MILITARY ISSUES

Armenia established a Ministry of Defense in 1992. Border guards subject to the National Security Service patrol Armenia's borders with Georgia and Azerbaijan, while Russian border guards continue to monitor its borders with Iran and Turkey. In August 2010 the Government of Armenia signed an extension to this agreement with Russia, providing for a continued Russian border guard presence until 2046.

The Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE) Treaty was ratified by the Armenian parliament in July 1992. The treaty establishes comprehensive limits on key categories of military equipment, such as tanks, artillery, armored combat vehicles, combat aircraft, and combat helicopters, and provides for the destruction of weaponry in excess of those limits. Armenian officials have consistently expressed determination to comply with its provisions in spite of concerns they have about Azerbaijan exceeding that country's treaty limits. Armenia has provided data on armaments as required under the CFE Treaty and is receptive to CFE inspections. There are indications that Armenia is trying to establish mechanisms to ensure fulfillment of its arms control obligations. Armenia is not a significant exporter of conventional weapons, but it has provided substantial support, including materiel, to ethnic Armenian separatists in the disputed and predominantly ethnic Armenian enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh located within Azerbaijan's borders.

In March 1993, Armenia signed the multilateral Chemical Weapons Convention, which calls for the eventual elimination of chemical weapons. Armenia acceded to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as a non-nuclear weapons state in July 1993. The U.S. and other Western governments continue to discuss efforts and initiatives to establish effective nuclear export control systems with Armenia.

U.S.-ARMENIAN RELATIONS

The dissolution of the Soviet Union in December 1991 brought an end to the Cold War and created the opportunity for bilateral relations with the New Independent States (NIS) as they began a political and economic transformation. The U.S. recognized the independence of Armenia on December 25, 1991, and opened an Embassy in Yerevan in February 1992.

U.S.-Armenian Economic Relations

In 1992 Armenia signed three agreements with the U.S. affecting trade between the two countries. The agreements were ratified by the Armenian parliament in September 1995 and entered into force at the beginning of 1996. They include an "Agreement on Trade Relations," an "Investment Incentive Agreement," and a treaty on the "Reciprocal Encouragement and Protection of Investment" (generally referred to as the Bilateral Investment Treaty, or BIT). Armenia does not have a bilateral taxation treaty with the U.S. The 1994 Law on Foreign Investment governs all direct investments in Armenia, including those from the U.S.

Approximately 70 U.S.-owned firms currently do business in Armenia, including Dell, Microsoft, and IBM. Recent major U.S. investment projects include the Hotel Armenia/Marriott; the Hotel Ani Plaza; Tufenkian Holdings (carpet and furnishing production, hotels, and construction); several subsidiaries of U.S.-based information technology (IT) firms, including Viasphere Technopark, an IT incubator; Synopsys; a Greek-owned Coca-Cola bottling plant; jewelry and textile production facilities; several copper and molybdenum mining companies; and the Hovnanian International Construction Company.

U.S. Assistance to Armenia

The United States has made a concerted effort to help Armenia and other NIS during their difficult transition from totalitarianism and a command economy to democracy and open markets. The cornerstone of this continuing partnership has been assistance provided through the Freedom for Russia and Emerging Eurasian Democracies and Open Markets (FREEDOM) Support Act, enacted in October 1992. In 2009, FREEDOM Support Act funds were merged with another account and renamed Assistance to Europe, Eurasia and Central Asia (AEECA). Under this and other programs, the U.S. to date has provided Armenia with nearly $2 billion in humanitarian and development assistance. An overview of U.S. assistance to Armenia can be found at http://www.state.gov/p/eur/rls/fs/140589.htm. In addition, the U.S.-Armenia Joint Economic Task Force, established in 2000, is a bilateral commission that meets annually to review the progress and objectives of U.S. assistance to Armenia. The November 2010 meeting was held in Yerevan, Armenia.

U.S. assistance seeks to support Armenia's transition into a stable partner at peace with its neighbors, fully integrated into the regional economy, where principles of democracy are respected, the benefits of economic growth are shared by all segments of society, and Armenia's human capital potential is fully realized. During the past year, the United States provided multifaceted assistance to Armenia through a variety of programs designed to promote economic growth, encourage democratic governance, improve the health and social protection systems, and enhance Armenia’s peace and security. The United States also provided humanitarian assistance to the poor, elderly, and other vulnerable groups. Assistance is provided through a “whole of government” approach that involves a number of U.S. Government agencies, including the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Energy, Justice, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), the Department of State, and the U.S. Agency for International Development.

On March 27, 2006, Armenia signed a 5-year, $236 million Millennium Challenge Corporation compact with the United States; the agreement entered into force on September 29, 2006. The MCA-Armenia program is focused on reducing rural poverty through a sustainable increase in the economic performance of the agricultural sector. This goal is being achieved through a 5-year program of strategic investments in rural roads, irrigation infrastructure, and technical and financial assistance to water supply entities, farmers, and commercial agribusinesses. MCC placed a hold on funding for a significant portion of the rural road rehabilitation project because of serious policy concerns about the spring 2008 election. At the June 2009 MCC Board meeting, the decision was made not to resume funding for any further road construction and rehabilitation due to concerns about the status of democratic governance. Funding for irrigation infrastructure and technical assistance, representing nearly $180 million of the compact’s value, remains in effect and under implementation.

Promoting Economic Growth

U.S. assistance addresses Armenia’s economic vulnerabilities, which have been exacerbated by the global economic crisis, while continuing to support economic competitiveness. The U.S. continues to work closely with international financial institutions like the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank to help Armenia continue its transition to a robust free-market economy. USAID and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) implement the largest of the United States’ economic assistance activities. In addition to its broader assistance programs, USAID implements a range of economic assistance programs designed to enhance Armenia’s macroeconomic foundation for growth; promote trade and investment; focus on private sector competitiveness and workforce development in selected industries, including information technology and tourism; and develop the financial sector and fiscal authorities to achieve a business-enabling environment.

USDA's Caucasus Agricultural Development Initiative provides targeted and sustained technical and marketing assistance to small and medium-sized agribusinesses, farmer-marketing associations, and the Government of Armenia. USDA's goal is to sustain the productivity of the agricultural sector by expanding access to markets and credit, increasing efficiency, and modernizing agriculture systems. USDA's priority assistance areas are: Farm Credit, Food Safety and Animal Health, support to the Armenian private sector through the NGO CARD, Agricultural Statistics, and Agricultural Education. Also, as a training component of USDA projects in Armenia, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Cochran Fellowship Program provides training to Armenian agriculturists in the United States.

Enhancing Democratic Governance

U.S. assistance in Armenia seeks to enhance the Government of Armenia’s capacity to govern justly and democratically. Among other areas, U.S. assistance programs are designed to: strengthen the rule of law, including by improving legal education, capacity of the defense bar and prosecutors, judicial ethics, and human rights protections; fight corruption and improve the transparency, accountability, and interaction with citizens by government entities, particularly at the local level; increase civic participation and government accountability by bolstering civil society, strengthening independent media, and increasing access to information; and promote free and fair elections and greater citizen participation in the political process. U.S. assistance works to enhance access to information by providing for translation and publication of printed materials, and promotes transparency in electoral processes by supporting international and domestic monitoring of Armenia’s elections.

Educational exchange programs also play an important role in supporting meaningful democratic and free-market reforms by instilling important core values in Armenia’s youth. Professional exchange programs in the U.S. for Armenian lawyers, judges, political party members, business people, government officials, NGO activists, journalists, and other public figures have focused on a range of topics, including the American judicial and political system, privatization, specific business sectors, the media, and civil society.


Principal U.S. Embassy Officials

Ambassador--Marie L. Yovanovitch

Deputy Chief of Mission--Bruce Donahue

Political/Economic Chief--Barton Putney

Assistance Coordinator--Charles Lobdell

Consular Officer--Robert Farquhar

Management Officer--Veronica Hons-Olivier

Regional Security Officer--Timothy Leveque

USDA Marketing Assistance Project Director--Frederic Johnston

USAID Director--Jatinder Cheema

Public Affairs Officer--Karen Robblee

The U.S. embassy in Yerevan, Armenia is at 18 Marshal Bagramyan; tel: 3742-151-144 or 3742-524-661; fax: 3742-151-138.




TRAVEL ADVISORIES

To obtain the latest Travel Advisory Information for Armenia check the U.S. State Department Consular Information Sheet.


TRAVEL TIPS

Driving U.S Driving Permit accepted
Currency (AMD) Dram
Electrical 220 Volts
Telephones Country Code 374

 


CUSTOMS/DUTIES

Tobacco....200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 grams of tobacco products

Liquor.....2 bottle of alcoholic beverages limited

Perfume....reasonable for personal use

Other goods....up to the amount of us$5000, for personal use only

Cameras....no restrictions

Film.......reasonalbe for personal use

Gifts......reasonable non-commercial quantity

Currency...no restrictions

Note: on entering the country, tourist must complete a custom declaration form which must be retained until departure. this allows the import of articles intended for personal use, including currency and valuables which must be registered on the declaration form. custom inspection can be long and detailed.

Prohibited imports:
military weapons and ammunition, narcotics and drug paraphernalia, pornography, loose pearls and anything owned by a third party that is to be carried in for that third party.

Prohibited exports:
as prohibited inports, as well as annulled sercurities, state loan certificates, lottery tickets, works of arts and antiques (unless permission has been granted by the ministry of culture), saiga horns, puncuate and red deer antlers (unless on organized hunting trip), and puncuate deer skins.

Note: Restrictions above are only applicable to passengers 18 years and older.



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