The Security Council of Armenia issued a statement noting that  cooperation with the United States in the field of biology “pursues exclusively peaceful purposes and has nothing to do with biological weapons.”

“The coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) has highlighted the importance of strong national capacities for infectious disease control, diagnosis, and response. International cooperation and support play an important role in developing these capacities.

Our governments have cooperated openly and transparently under the Biological Threat Reduction Program, part of the US Department of Defense’s Threat Reduction Agency program. These partnerships are exclusively for peaceful purposes and have nothing to do with biological weapons.

These partnerships protect human and animal health in our countries, including by preventing, detecting, and controlling infectious disease outbreaks, and improving the biosecurity and biosecurity of local laboratories.

As partners in this project, each of us recognizes firsthand the importance of the common goal of cooperation to strengthen global health security and reduce the impact of infectious diseases on our societies.

Our governments firmly support the common approach that such cooperation should not be hindered, but should be encouraged and strengthened. In accordance with Article 10, we encourage all states parties to the Biological Weapons Convention to work together in support of this goal, including at the upcoming Review Conference,” the statement said.