YEREVAN — Lieutenant General Edvard Asryan, First Deputy Minister of Defense and Chief of the General Staff of the Armenian Armed Forces, met with U.S. Deputy Assistant Sec- retary of War Andrew Loomis on Sep- tember 17 at the Armenian Ministry of Defense administrative complex. According to Armenia’s Ministry of Defense, the two officials discussed issues related to Armenia-U.S. coop- eration in the defense sector. Both sides expressed a positive as- sessment of the current level of coop- eration and emphasized the importance of further developing collaboration in peacekeeping, the training of profes- sional non-commissioned officers, in- structors and junior commanders, mili- tary education, and the organization of joint military exercises and training. Loomis said the United States would continue its cooperation with Armenia within the framework of ex- isting programs and was prepared to discuss opportunities for expanding cooperation into new areas.