USA and Armenia sign a series of agreements

US Vice President J. D. Vance traveled to Armenia on February 9 as part of an official visit. Vance arrived in the country accompanied by his wife and children. Within the framework of the visit, one-on-one and expanded format meetings were held between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and US Vice President J. D. Vance.

During the meeting, Vance and Pashinyan signed the "Joint Declaration on the completion of negotiations for an agreement on cooperation between the Government of the Republic of Armenia and the Government of the USA regarding the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes."

In his statement at the signing ceremony, Pashinyan noted that the agreement in question would open a new chapter in the deepening energy partnership between Armenia and the US, stating it would contribute to the diversification of Armenia's energy resources through the introduction of secure and innovative technologies.

Pashinyan also thanked the US for the support provided to Armenia over many years in the field of nuclear safety, emphasizing their readiness to further develop sectoral cooperation in priority areas of importance for both countries.

Pashinyan and Vance also discussed institutional reforms in Armenia and the continuation of the support provided by the US for many years in this direction.

During the meeting, Armenia purchased V-BAT type unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from the US within the scope of the Armenia-US military and defense partnership.

Pashinyan stated that significant progress has been achieved in the field of Armenia-US military and defense partnership, saying: "As a continuation of the long-standing history of our bilateral security cooperation and the 'Eagle Partner' exercises that have continued for three years, Armenia has purchased V-BAT type unmanned aerial vehicles from the US. These systems, whose effectiveness has been proven through extensive operational experience, will make a significant contribution to strengthening our defense capacity."

The Prime Minister stated that this agreement, carried out within the framework of the US Foreign Military Sales program, would form the basis for further expanding bilateral cooperation. US Vice President J. D. Vance, in a press conference, announced that they had approved the sale of reconnaissance drone technologies to Armenia worth 11 million dollars.

Vance: A historic visit

Speaking at the press conference held after the meetings, Vice President of the United States J. D. Vance described his visit to Armenia as historic.

Vance said, "What is happening here today holds historical significance. I am truly proud to be the first US Vice President to visit this country. I look forward to spending my day tomorrow in Armenia."

The US Vice President thanked the Armenian Prime Minister for the cooperation and emphasized that he and US President Donald Trump are determined to strengthen this collaboration.

Pashinyan: You are the first US Vice President to visit Armenia

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that US Vice President J. D. Vance’s visit to Armenia reflects the developments in Armenia-US relations in recent years, and particularly within the last year.

Pashinyan said, "Your visit is historical; because you are the first US Vice President to visit Armenia and the highest-ranking US official to come to our country to date. I believe this is an indicator not only in terms of protocol but also of the developments in Armenia-US relations in recent years, and especially within the last year."

Drawing attention to the meeting he held with Vance at the White House a year ago, Pashinyan emphasized that the meeting in question was of great importance for the subsequent process.

Pashinyan thanked US President Donald Trump and Vice President Vance for the summit held last August, which resulted in the establishment of peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The Prime Minister stated, "Days ago, we held a meeting with the President of Azerbaijan in Abu Dhabi. Our impression is that we are very close to the point where peace with Azerbaijan is irreversible. Now our task is to implement the TRIPP project, which is one of the most important articles of the peace process and the Washington Declaration, in accordance with the framework accepted by the Armenian Foreign Minister and the US Secretary of State on January 14."

Pashinyan stated that the agenda between Armenia and the US is extremely comprehensive and that there are many topics to be discussed, saying, "It is very important that these meetings have an entirely positive agenda. This positive agenda fully reflects the scope and meaning of our strategic partnership."

Vance will visit Azerbaijan next.

President Donald Trump stated on January 24 that the purpose of sending the vice president to the region was to support peace efforts between Baku and Yerevan and to contribute to the development of the TRIPP project, presented as the "Trump route."

The US President also emphasized the US's intention to deepen strategic cooperation with Azerbaijan and said that the sale of some military technologies to Baku was also being evaluated.

The US President had also announced that Washington aims to expand cooperation with Yerevan in the nuclear field for peaceful purposes.

In light of these statements, Vance's visit is expected not only to be limited to peace talks and transport links but also to address possible cooperation in the military, technological, and energy sectors.

(Armenpress, BBC Azerbaijani)