The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Armenian National Institute of Standards (SARM) recognizing the importance of bilateral cooperation in standardization and conformance initiatives.
ANSI president and CEO S. Joe Bhatia and SARM CEO Yenok Azaryan signed the MoU at ANSI headquarters in Washington, D.C., on June 14. The MoU affirms ANSI and SARM's mutual commitment to collaborate in advancing U.S.-Armenian cooperation on standards and conformity assessment to enhance bilateral trade and investment. Accompanying Mr. Bhatia and Dr. Azaryan at the signing were Gevorg Nazaryan, deputy drector of SARM; Joseph Tretler, vice president of international policy, ANSI; and Leslie McDermott, senior manager of international development, ANSI.
The ANSI-SARM MoU establishes cooperation that would complement the bilateral Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) signed between the U.S. and Armenian governments in May 2015. The TIFA established government-to-government dialogue to bolster bilateral trade and investment by improving the investment climate, identifying priority growth areas, and building trade capacity.
Through the MoU, ANSI and SARM commit to exchange views on the activity, operations, and programs of work of various international and regional standardization and conformity assessment organizations, including but not limited to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), the Pan American Standards Commission (COPANT), and the Pacific Area Standards Congress (PASC).
In 2014 the U.S. was Armenia's sixth-largest trading partner, accounting for $153 million in two-way trade. U.S. exports to Armenia include poultry, machinery, vehicles, and medical equipment.