Vance turns into first sitting US VP to go to Armenia in push to advance Azerbaijan peace deal

[ad_1] US Vice President JD Vance landed in Armenia on Monday – a rustic that no sitting US vp or president has visited earlier than – because the Trump administration seems to advance a US-brokered deal geared toward ending a decades-long battle with Azerbaijan.

Vance and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed an settlement to push ahead negotiations on a civil nuclear power deal, and Vance mentioned the US was able to export superior laptop chips and surveillance drones to Armenia and spend money on the nation's infrastructure.

The go to comes after Pashinyan signed a deal on the White Home in August with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev the place the leaders signed agreements reaffirming their dedication to signing a peace treaty. The textual content of the treaty was initialed by overseas ministers, which signifies preliminary approval. However the leaders have but to signal the treaty and parliaments have but to ratify it.

Learn extra Armenia, Azerbaijan to finish 'all preventing ceaselessly' at White Home summit, Trump says

“Peace isn't made by cautious individuals,” mentioned Vance, who plans to journey to Azerbaijan on Tuesday. “Peace isn't made by people who find themselves too centered on the previous. Peace is made by people who find themselves centered on the longer term.”

US: Leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan shake palms and signal deal

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El presidente de Estados Unidos, Donald Trump, toma las manos del presidente de Azerbaiyán, Ilham Aliyev, y del primer ministro de Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, mientras se estrechan las manos durante un evento de firma trilateral, en la Casa Blanca, en Washington, DC, el 8 de agosto de 2025. © Reuters - Kevin Lamarque The August deal between the 2 former Soviet republics requires the creation of a significant transit hall dubbed the Trump Route for Worldwide Peace and Prosperity. It's anticipated to attach Azerbaijan and its autonomous Nakhchivan exclave, that are separated by a 32-kilometre-wide (20-mile-wide) patch of Armenian territory.

The land bridge had been a sticking level in resolving a battle that lasted for practically 4 many years over management of the Karabakh area, identified internationally as Nagorno-Karabakh. The area had been beneath the management of ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia since 1994. A six-week conflict in 2020 resulted in Azerbaijan regaining management of components of the area and the encircling areas. In September 2023, Azerbaijan launched a blitz that compelled the separatist authorities to capitulate. After Azerbaijan regained full management of Karabakh, most of its 120,000 Armenian residents fled to Armenia.

Vance mentioned that the Armenian prime minister had his endorsement in upcoming elections and he emphasised that the nation was among the many oldest to have recognized as Christian.

Pashinyan expressed his gratitude towards President Donald Trump and Vance, noting that he had accepted an invite to take part within the first assembly of Trump's Board of Peace on February 19 in Washington. The group, based by Trump, is overseeing the ceasefire plan in Gaza.

He mentioned Vance's go to was “of really historic and symbolic significance” and it “displays the depth of the sturdy and strategic partnership cast between the Republic of Armenia and america of America”.

The vp and his spouse, Usha, arrived in Yerevan after spending 4 days in Milan on the Winter Olympics with their household. They have been greeted with a pink carpet, an honour guard and a delegation of officers. Armenian and American flags hung from poles from because the delegation drove to the vp’s assembly, with some demonstrators on the aspect of the street, together with one with an indication that mentioned, “Does Trump assist Devils?”