Armenia Confident New U.S. Administration Will Uphold Strategic Partnership Agreement

YEREVAN – Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan expressed confidence on Wednesday that the new U.S. administration will uphold the U.S.-Armenia Strategic Partnership agreement, which was signed just days before President Donald Trump’s inauguration.

On January 14, outgoing U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan signed the charter for the newly established U.S.-Armenia Strategic Partnership Commission in Washington. Blinken described the charter as a “framework to expand our bilateral cooperation in several key areas,” including defense and security.

Speaking in the Armenian parliament, Pashinyan emphasized that the agreement would not have been signed if the incoming U.S. administration had opposed it.

“The key point is that the previous administration was just as involved in signing this document as the new administration… That is part of their political culture,” he said in response to a question from a pro-government lawmaker.

Pashinyan met with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance at the White House last week at the conclusion of his four-day visit to Washington, D.C.

On Wednesday, Pashinyan stated that the meeting was unscheduled but described it as very important and highly productive. However, he did not disclose details of his conversation with Vance.