Secretary of State Blinken and USAID Administrator Samantha Power spotlight democratic progress in Armenia and announce $20,600,000 from the United States to bolster progress, Azernews reports.

New commitments announced at the UN General Assembly will support government reform efforts and facilitate improvements to public services as part of USAID’s Democracy Delivers Initiative.

Today, at the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) “Democracy Delivers” event on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Secretary of State Antony Blinken and USAID Administrator Samantha Power, in partnership with the Ford Foundation, convened fellow government leaders, philanthropic partners, and civil society to increase support for Armenia and other countries experiencing democratic openings around the world.

Working with Congress, USAID and the U.S. Department of State announced $20 million for Armenia to bolster cyber, border, and energy security and to strengthen resilience against complex threats and challenges.

An additional $600,000 of Promoting Information Integrity and Resilience Initiative (ProInfo) funding has been announced through USAID to enhance the technological capacities of independent media to produce impactful and public interest journalism, leverage innovation to promote media and information literacy, and bolster the local advocacy for key media reforms in Armenia.

This $20,600,000 in new support for Armenia builds upon approximately $11.9 million in funding announced during Administrator Power’s July 2024 visit to Yerevan. That funding will strengthen economic resilience, advance digital transformation, and support disaster preparedness.