US Secretary of State John Kerry congratulated President Serzh Sargsyan on his re-election

US Secretary of State John Kerry sent a congratulatory message to President Serzh Sargsyan on his re-election.

“Dear Mr. President:

Congratulations on your re-election. The February 18 presidential elections built on the foundation of the parliamentary elections in 2012, and I am pleased that the media provided balanced coverage of the campaign.

I agree with the OSCE/ODIHR preliminary findings that the elections were generally well-administered and characterized by a respect for fundamental freedoms, but there is work that remains to be done. Moving forward, I hope Armenia will continue to increase transparency, promote multiple viewpoints in the mainstream media, and encourage citizens’ active participation in reforms and governance, as well as address the outstanding electoral issues raised by the OSCE.

During your second term, I hope that the United States and Armenia can work together to pursue the democratic and economic reforms critical to increased bilateral trade and investment. I also remain committed to helping your country find a peaceful, negotiated solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and I ask that you continue to give the Minsk Group Co-Chairs your full support. We cannot be satisfied with the status quo: we must seize this moment to pursue meaningful progress in the peace process.

I look forward to working with you and the people of Armenia to build on the longstanding ties and historic friendship between our countries”, US Secretary of State said in his message.