US vice president backs Armenian PM in upcoming elections

US Vice President JD Vance voiced support for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan ahead of Armenia’s June 7 parliamentary elections during a visit to Yerevan.

“I know there is an election coming up. I won’t talk about that, but to the extent my endorsement means anything, he certainly has it because this is a guy who can build the long-term partnership to make this kind of a thing stick,” Caliber.Az quotes Vance as saying at a press conference with Pashinyan.

The vice president described him as a leader capable of building a long-term partnership and making cooperation endure, referring to “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP).

“I think there is actually a lot of capital interested in this particular project. There are a lot of people across the world who think they can make a good return on investment by investing in Armenia and this TRIPP project. I think the question is, how do we get a [Armenia-Azerbaijan] peace deal into a good next phase? How do we keep the prime minister in a good place where he can start to focus on the future?” Vance stated.

In his remarks, Pashinyan said the agreement would open a new chapter in deepening the energy partnership between Armenia and the United States, help diversify Armenia’s energy resources, and support the introduction of safe and innovative technologies.

The prime minister highlighted cooperation between Armenia and the United States, adding that the efforts were also extending into the defence sector.

By Jeyhun Aghazada