YEREVAN (Yerkir)–Meeting at the ARF Simon Vratsian center with ARF Armenia Supreme Body members Armen Rustamian and Edvard Kazarian–the Armenia desk officer of the US State Department’s Europe and Eurasia Bureau Margaret Powlick–and head of the US Embassy’s political and economic division Paul Vickberg welcomed ARF’s initiative in formulating a memorandum to be signed by the political parties of Armenia.
ARF Armenia Supreme Body Chairman Rustamian has continuously stressed the importance of the memorandum in conducting fair and open presidential and parliamentary elections.
Vickberg said that the State Department representative’s goal is to find out the positions of political parties prior to upcoming elections: "Having started these series of the meetings by meeting with the ARF–we were informed of its views–and discussed the internal situation of the country."
The representatives examined regional issues as well as the political and economic situation in Armenia. The American diplomats were accompanied by US Embassy political advisor Alla Bakunts.