The appointment of the John Evans, the head of the Russian Office of the US State Department to the post the Ambassador to Armenia testifies of Washington's increasing interest towards Armenia, Vice Speaker of the Armenian National Assembly Vahan Hovhanissian stated. In his words, Mr. Evans is a figure with serious political experience and his appointment can be tied with the growing role of Armenia in the region. The US and Russia view Armenia as the gates to the Near East and historically, Armenia together with the Transcaucasus is the part of a huge region of the Near East, V. Hovhanissian confirms. According to him, stability in the Near and Middle East appears as a greater task than stability in the Transcaucasus, and Armenia is considered to be a part of this region. "A small island of the regional stability acquires a special importance and Armenia should strive for it. This value is highlighted by Armenia's partners, Russia and the US", Hovhanissian noted. In his opinion, not accidentally Armenia was included in the list of the countries eligible for the Millenium Challenge Account, which is not a mere financial assistance.