Yerevan/Mediamax/. The United States recognizes that the relationship with Armenia "does not exist in a vacuum”, said newly appointed U.S. Ambassador Lynne Tracy.

“We understand and appreciate that Armenia has a plethora of bilateral and multilateral international relationships, and, as a sovereign, democratic country, makes choices according to its own national interest,” Ambassador Tracy said in her AmCham policy speech today.

According to her, the U.S. also understands that as a reality of geography and history, Armenia maintains strong ties to Russia.

“But I think most Armenians agree with me that the Armenia-Russia relationship should not and does not preclude Armenia from also pursuing strong, mutually beneficial relations with the United States, the European Union, and other potential partners. And while Armenia’s geography and history link it to Russia, your values connect you to the West. These relationships are not mutually exclusive. Foreign affairs is not a zero-sum game,” said Lynne Tracy.

The ambassador added that just as the U.S. seeks to strengthen coordination and cooperation with our European allies, it will continue to work with Russia on issues of common interest, including working together toward a resolution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group format.