Rep. Pallone sees major economic and political progress in Armenia

PanARMENIAN.Net - Congressional Armenian Caucus co-chair Frank Pallone Jr. has said that he sees tremendous economic and political progress in Armenia.

The congressman was part of an exchange with Armenian members of parliament who expect to come to Washington in the next six months. His colleagues on the trip included Armenian Caucus Co-Chairs Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) and David Valadao (R-Calif.), as well as Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) and Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.).

“The progress of the country economically and politically is immediately evident. I visited Armenia several times in the 1990s and early 2000s. Great strides have been made in terms of economic development and improvements in the political system since then,” said Pallone.

“Yerevan looks increasingly like a modern Western city, but even in the rural areas we saw, on the way to Dilijan and Lake Sevan, there were clearly major improvements to the infrastructure and the agricultural economy."

Pallone and his congressional colleagues met with the Armenian president, prime minister, defense minister, speaker and vice speaker of the parliament, as well as opposition leaders. They also visited with the Catholicos in Etchmiadzin.