"The United States joins Armenians in mourning the untimely loss of Prime Minister Andranik Margaryan," says the statement by Anthony Godfrey, the U.S. Charge d'Affaires in Armenia. "We honor Prime Minister Margaryan's lifelong contributions to Armenian life, from his work with the dissident National Unity Party during the 1960s and 1970s, through independent Armenia's emergence from Soviet rule, and as the head of government since 2000. The Prime Minister has been a valuable partner of the United States, especially in his capacity as Chairman of the Governing Council of the Millennium Challenge Account - Armenia, which was built on a firm organizational foundation. I would like to extend my condolences to the Armenian people on this sad day," the statement says.