August 7, 1994: Levon Ter-Petrosyan's official visit to the United States:

Attached is my aided translation of Tatul Hakobyan’s posting on his Facebook page today, August 7, 2025 on the eve of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s ongoing official visit to the United States around the same time.

President Levon Ter-Petrosyan, First Lady Hillary Cliton, President Bill Clinton, First Lady Lyudmila Ter-Petrosyan. Courtesy Tatul Hakobyan

The official visit of the first President of the Republic of Armenia, Levon Ter-Petrosyan, to the United States began on On August 7, 1994. The visit was exceptional in several respects. First, it was of an official-working nature. All the key elements of the protocol were preserved, and the Armenian delegation (for the first and last time in history) stayed at Blair House, which is the residence of special guests of US presidents.

 

Ter-Petrosyan's delegation was quite representative. The delegation included the first lady, State Minister Vazgen Sargsyan, Foreign Minister Papazyan, Minister of Economy Yeghiazaryan, Minister of Finance Barkhudaryan, Chairman of the Central Bank Asatryan, the President's press secretary, and his personal physician.

 

The plane of the President of Armenia landed at Dallas Airport in Washington at 3:25 p.m. on the 7th. Immediately after that, the Armenian delegation traveled to the Willard Hotel, where it spent the first two nights.

 

The next morning, according to the rules of protocol, the Armenian President's delegation visited the Arlington Military Cemetery, laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, as well as at the tombs of Presidents John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy.

 

That same day, in the evening, Ter-Petrosyan received the heads of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund at his residence.

 

On the morning of August 9, the main part of the delegation moved to Blair House and the official part of the visit begam. On the same day, the Armenian President had a working lunch with US Vice President Albert Gore. Immediately after lunch, the Armenian delegation left for the Pentagon to meet with US Secretary of Defense William Perry.

 

The protocol schedule of the visit of the President of Armenia has been preserved in the President Clinton Library, and the designated US President's National Security Advisor Anthony Lake was responsible for the visit.

 

The protocol of the meeting looked like this:

 

· 5:30-7:30 Meeting with the President of the Republic of Armenia

 

· 5:30 President Clinton welcomes President Ter-Petrosyan (with the participation of the press)

 

· 5:35-6:05 Closed meeting of the Presidents in the Oval Office.

 

· 6:15 President Clinton accompanies President Ter-Petrosyan to the "Green Room".

 

· The Presidents and First Ladies get to know each other in the "Eastern Room".

 

· President Clinton's remarks.

 

· President Ter-Petrosyan's remarks.

 

· The Presidents and First Ladies proceed to the Blue Room to greet the guests in turn.

 

Following the reception, President Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton saw off President Ter-Petrossian and First Lady Lyudmila Ter-Petrossian, escorting them to the North Entrance of the White House.