U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said after the initialing of several agreements at Yerevan’s Zvartnots Airport that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s team is paving the way for Armenia’s independent future.
“And we are happy to express our support for this vision, this courage, your dedication and willingness to shape the country’s future. We are pleased and proud to be part of all this and are ready to do even more together,” Rubio said, according to Sputnik Armenia.
Referring to strategic cooperation under the TRIPP initiative, Rubio said it was an honor for him to advance the vision of U.S. President Donald Trump and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, describing it as a “bold path.”
“This bold path leads the South Caucasus toward peace. That path was enshrined on August 8 in Washington. It was an honor for me today to initial with the foreign minister our bilateral agreement, which is one of the biggest steps toward turning this historic path into reality. This is a path toward peace and prosperity in Armenia and the region,” Rubio stated.
According to the Secretary of State, Armenia-U.S. relations are developing across multiple areas.
“We also signed a comprehensive strategic partnership charter, which defines the framework of our bilateral relations and outlines a new path that will benefit both Armenians and Americans. We respect sovereignty. Bilateral relations work best this way, when both countries see advantages in cooperation. Our partnership becomes strategic when we share a vision for the future and can help one another achieve a better future together,” Rubio emphasized.
Rubio also noted that the memorandum of understanding concerns critical minerals.
“During all visits, we talk a lot about critical minerals. All technologies and innovations in the 21st century depend on this factor. Their extraction, processing and refinement are essential for future prosperity. Countries capable of doing this will be able to achieve economic independence and position themselves at the center of innovation,” the U.S. secretary of state said.
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan spoke about the importance of deepening Armenian-American relations, according to Panorama.am .
According to him, Yerevan and Washington are now in a phase of comprehensive strategic partnership that can already be described as a historically unprecedented development. The minister thanked the U.S. secretary of state for visiting Armenia and advancing the bilateral agenda, saying this reflected the political will and consistent cooperation of both sides.
“Our comprehensive strategic relations today are stronger than ever before. We have entered a historically unprecedented phase, considering the frequent developments on our bilateral agenda,” Mirzoyan said.
He also referred to recent high-level meetings and signed documents, highlighting expanded cooperation in areas including artificial intelligence, semiconductors, nuclear energy, mining and education.
Mirzoyan also recalled the peace summit held in Washington, saying it contributed to strengthening regional peace and shaping agreements on unblocking transport communications.
According to the minister, documents signed and discussions held in subsequent months strengthened the legal and political foundations of cooperation. At the end of his remarks, Mirzoyan expressed confidence that the agreements reached would translate into new opportunities for Armenia in both security and economic development.
It became known only the previous day that the U.S. secretary of state would visit Armenia, as the trip had not been officially announced beforehand. Rubio arrived from New Delhi and departed Armenia after signing documents and making statements at Zvartnots Airport.
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed several documents at Yerevan’s Zvartnots Airport, including the initialed framework agreement on strategic cooperation related to the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” project and the comprehensive strategic partnership charter between Armenia and the United States.
