Armenian-American Relations to Reach New Strategic Level with Agreement Signing

The government of the Republic of Armenia today approved the revised draft of the agreement on cooperation in the field of preventing the spread of technologies, pathogens, and experience that can be used for the creation of biological weapons. This agreement, signed between the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Armenia and the U.S. Department of Defense in 2010, had not yet been ratified due to mandatory requirements presented to Armenia.

The issue is that according to Article 4, Paragraph 5 of the agreement, the Armenian side was obliged to transfer to the U.S. Department of Defense the samples of dangerous pathogens collected in Armenia for prophylactic, defensive, or other peaceful purposes.

In the new agreement signed on September 30, 2022, this provision has been revised, making the obligation to transfer dangerous pathogen samples to the American side discretionary and only applicable to pathological materials containing pathogens identified in the case of outbreaks of dangerous pathogens, epidemics, or associated threats in Armenia.

Following this amendment, the Armenian government finds it appropriate to ratify the agreement as it aligns with Armenia's foreign policy and international obligations. The respective decision project published on the government’s website states that ratifying the agreement will elevate Armenian-U.S. relations to a new level of strategic dialogue.

Furthermore, it will enable the development of public health risk and threat detection, laboratory capacities, establishment of a monitoring system, risk reduction, implementation of health education programs, and the advancement of scientific research in the public health sector, as well as prevent and control the introduction and spread of infectious diseases in the country.