US Deputy Secretary of State: I’m proud to say that my wife is Armenian American

Discussions at the national level are not enough; the local, state, and provincial circles also need to be engaged in the Armenian-American cooperation. This was stated by Richard Verma, US Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources, in his address Monday at the US-Armenia Local Democracy Forum that has started in Yerevan.

When world leaders talk about climate, it is regional, state, and local governments that take action against wildfires, added Verma.

Also, he noted that 1.5 million Armenians live in the US. This is the second largest Armenian community outside of Armenia. Armenians work and create in the US and the latter shows great respect for Armenian culture. The traditions, culture, tolma, lavash bread that Armenians brought with them made the US stronger. They have seen American Armenians rise to the top of the US Armed Forces, and American Armenian innovators have created the electronic stratification device. The US has seen such leading figures as retired tennis star Andre Agassi, and the famous Kardashian family. He may not be able to “keep up” with the Kardashians, but he must proudly say that there is an American Armenian in his family. His wife is Armenian American, he is of Indian origin, and their family is fortunate to be able to represent the cultures of three countries, Richard Verma said.