Vice President JD Vance became the highest-ranking U.S. official to ever visit Armenia while in office on Monday, joining Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to sign a civil nuclear agreement as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to secure peace in the South Caucasus.
During Vance’s visit, Pashinyan also reaffirmed Armenia’s commitment to the peace deal between his country and Azerbaijan that was brokered by President Donald Trump last August. The agreement signed on Monday promises $9 billion in potential U.S. investment in Armenia’s nuclear sector, an $11 million shipment of U.S. drones to the South Caucasus country, and a partnership on the sale of Nvidia chips to Armenia.
Vance called the agreement a “win-win” that will provide additional energy exports to Armenia from the United States, as well as economic opportunities for American companies and security for Armenia. The nuclear cooperation would set up “a way for American and Armenian companies to strike deals on civil nuclear projects,” according to Vance, who added, “That means up to five billion dollars in initial U.S. exports, plus an additional four billion in long-term support through fuel and maintenance contracts.”
The civil nuclear agreement marks a major shift for Armenia, which has long relied on Russia for its energy and security. After President Trump took office last January, the United States strengthened its relationship with Armenia, a country that has grown increasingly open to the West under Pashinyan. Last August, Trump struck a peace deal between Armenia and its neighbor, Azerbaijan, after years of conflict that saw over 100,000 ethnic Armenians forced to flee Nagorno-Karabakh, a region inside of Azerbaijan that has been home to Armenians for thousands of years.
Pashinyan said that Vance’s visit “reflects the depth of the strong and strategic partnership” between the United States and Armenia. The prime minister also expressed gratitude for President Donald Trump’s work to negotiate a deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan and strengthen the U.S.-Armenia relationship.
“After the Washington Peace Summit, [Azerbaijani] President Aliyev and I nominated President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize through a joint letter, and I have great hope that the president will rightfully receive this award in 2026,” Pashinyan added.
Vance commented on the “visionary” accomplishment that Trump achieved alongside Pashinyan in the peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan last year.
“We’re not just making peace for Armenia, we’re also creating real prosperity for Armenia and the United States together,” Vance said. “So much of the great cooperation that we’re going to announce today would not have been possible without [Pashinyan’s] leadership, without the peace that you committed your country to and without, of course, the president of the United States’ leadership.”
“I really do believe that tonight marks a new beginning for Armenia and the United States and the partnership that our countries can have together,” Vance added.
Monday’s energy and economic agreement between the United States and Armenia comes on top of plans to develop an international trade route in Armenia to better connect the country to its neighbors. The route, which would be called the Trump Road for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), would open up more opportunities for business and trade in the region that has long been unstable. The Trump administration is hopeful that TRIPP will also ensure that the peace agreement signed between Armenia and Azerbaijan “will stick.”
Stepan Sargsyan, a former Armenian governor who works closely with the prime minister, told The Daily Wire on Monday that the TRIPP project is moving along smoothly.
“Right now, the Americans and Armenians and their Azeri counterparts are working very diligently and very expeditiously to bring it into fruition,” Sargsyan said. “Actually, literally a few days ago, the American embassy in Yerevan, Armenia, announced that a team of engineers from a U.S. company had already arrived in Armenia to do the surveying [for TRIPP]. So, we too in Armenia are very hopeful that this will come into existence very, very quickly.”
Vance plans to travel to Azerbaijan on Tuesday in hopes of continuing the Trump administration’s successful negotiations in the region and moving the August agreement forward.
In his press conference with Pashinyan on Monday, Vance also highlighted Armenia’s Christian foundation. Armenia is known as the first Christian nation in the world, officially declaring itself Christian in A.D. 301. Vance called Armenia a “true bedrock of Christian civilization and culture.”
“As a devout Christian myself, I know the meaning of this country to the entire world and to the religion that the prime minister and I share,” Vance added.
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