Allowing access to Armenia’s government labs is Armenian government’s decision – U.S. Embassy

The U.S. government provides assistance to the Government of Armenia to enhance Armenia’s disease response and reporting capabilities, U.S. Embassy representative told Aysor.am, asked how U.S side treats the decision of the Armenian authorities to allow Russian specialist enter U.S. funded labs in Armenia.

Earlier Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated in an interview to Russian Kommersant that with his instruction Russian specialists were given permission to enter Armenian bio-laboratories established by U.S. funds. He stressed that they have got convinced that nothing extraordinary is happening there.

“The U.S. government provides assistance to the Government of Armenia to enhance Armenia’s disease response and reporting capabilities. As the Prime Minister recently noted, the Armenian government has full authority over their public health labs, which are co-located within the Armenian Ministries of Health and Agriculture, including granting access to official foreign visitors. In general, the U.S. government encourages open labs, but allowing access to Armenia’s government labs is a decision for the Armenian government,” the U.S. Embassy official said.