Armenian Officials Visit Los Angeles to Highlight Expanding US Partnership, Counter Disinformation

Senior Armenian officials visited Los Angeles this week to engage with the Armenian-American community on rapidly evolving diplomatic and security matters. Lilit Makunts, Chief Advisor to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and Chief of Staff Arayik Harutyunyan met with community leaders in the region, which hosts one of the world’s largest Armenian diaspora populations.

The delegation held a public meeting on Wednesday at the Armenian Society of Los Angeles in Glendale, providing updates on bilateral relations and regional developments ahead of Armenia’s June 7 parliamentary elections.

The visit follows U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s recent trip to Yerevan—the first by a sitting American vice president to Armenia—which Makunts described as a “historic milestone” in bilateral relations.

“It was the first time that a sitting U.S. vice president has visited Armenia and reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to the bilateral agenda and the strategic partnership between our two countries,” Makunts said. “It also reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to a peace agenda and prosperity in the region, where our strategic interests align.”

During Vance’s visit, Prime Minister Pashinyan and the vice president signed a joint statement on peaceful nuclear cooperation, establishing a framework for collaboration on civil energy projects and technology exchange. This agreement represents a significant step in Armenia’s efforts to diversify its energy security and reduce dependence on traditional regional power structures.

Makunts highlighted tangible results already emerging from strengthened U.S.-Armenia relations. “We were able to obtain advanced technology drones from the United States,” she noted, describing this cooperation as evidence of “mutual trust” despite Armenia’s formal membership in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), where it currently maintains limited participation.

The officials also discussed the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP) project, established through a framework signed in Washington last August. The initiative outlines development principles centered on sovereignty, territorial integrity, and jurisdiction.

“Peace in the South Caucasus opens many avenues for Armenia to develop and prosper,” Makunts explained. “This is going to contribute to Armenia’s economic development and open trade partnerships with different parts of the world, while also serving as an important pillar for regional security.”

Armenia’s foremost diplomatic priority remains finalizing a sustainable peace agreement. “Our primary goal is to ensure that the peace agreement initialed in Washington is sustainable and final,” Makunts emphasized. “That is crucial both for Armenia’s security and its development prospects.”

Humanitarian concerns remain at the forefront, particularly regarding Armenian detainees and prisoners of war still held in Azerbaijan following recent conflicts. “We are continuing to work together with the United States to address all existing humanitarian issues, including bringing back the detainees and POWs,” Makunts said, noting the sensitivity of these negotiations.

The delegation also addressed the challenge of combating misinformation as Armenia approaches its June elections. “There may be a huge flow of disinformation,” Makunts cautioned. “It’s important that Armenians living across the world know what’s happening domestically and receive accurate information from the government.”

She acknowledged that some narratives circulating within respected diaspora circles do not accurately reflect government policy, particularly regarding Armenia’s peace agenda and evolving foreign partnerships.

During his visit, Vice President Vance stopped at the Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial, laying flowers and observing a moment of silence. A subsequent social media post by Vance referencing the “Armenian Genocide” was later deleted by his team, with the White House attributing the wording to a staff error.

While declining to comment specifically on U.S. protocol, Makunts affirmed Armenia’s position: “The fact that there was an Armenian Genocide is undeniable for us,” she said, referencing congressional recognition resolutions passed during the first Trump administration. “But we are also looking to the future and ensuring that Armenia has diplomatic relations with all its neighbors, including those with whom we have had a difficult history.”

For Makunts, engagement with the Armenian-American community is fundamental to the country’s diplomatic strategy. She recalled her time as Armenia’s ambassador to Washington, often telling visitors about the embassy building, which was gifted by Armenian-Americans after independence in the early 1990s.

“The property deed contains a clause stating it belongs to the Republic of Armenia ‘as long as Armenia is independent,'” she noted. “This single sentence signifies how important statehood and independence are for the diaspora and Armenian-Americans.”

With expanding defense cooperation, new energy initiatives, and an active peace process underway, Armenian officials emphasized that the current moment requires clarity, engagement, and partnership both domestically and internationally.

“As one of the biggest Armenian communities in the world,” Makunts concluded, “Armenian-Americans should feel empowered by the recent developments between our two governments.”