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U.S. Vice President JD Vance conducted a high-profile visit to Armenia and Azerbaijan, aiming to consolidate a fragile U.S.-brokered peace process between the South Caucasus rivals while expanding economic, energy, and security partnerships across the region.

The trip marked the first time a sitting U.S. president or vice president has visited Armenia, underscoring Washington’s growing engagement in a region long dominated by Russian influence.

Vance arrived in Yerevan on February 9, 2026, before traveling to Azerbaijan’s capital, Baku, the next day as part of a diplomatic push to turn preliminary agreements between the two countries into a formal peace treaty.

In Yerevan, Vance met Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and signed an agreement to advance cooperation in the civil nuclear sector, opening the door for major U.S. exports and investment.

The two leaders confirmed they had completed negotiations on a so-called “123 Agreement,” allowing the United States to license nuclear technology and equipment to Armenia. The deal could enable up to $5 billion in initial U.S. exports and an additional $4 billion in longer-term fuel and maintenance contracts.

Armenia is reviewing proposals from multiple countries to build a new nuclear reactor to replace its aging Russian-built Metsamor plant, and the agreement could pave the way for an American project to be selected. “This agreement will open a new chapter in the deepening energy partnership between Armenia and the United States,” Pashinyan said at a joint press conference.

.@VP @JDVance and PM Pashinyan complete historic bilateral meetings in Armenia pic.twitter.com/GbKSjQKmi0

— Taylor Van Kirk (@VPPressSec) February 9, 2026

Armenia has long depended on Russia and Iran for energy, but officials in Yerevan have increasingly sought to diversify partners. Analysts say the nuclear agreement reflects a broader geopolitical shift as Russia’s influence in the South Caucasus weakens following its war in Ukraine.

In addition to nuclear cooperation, Vance said Washington was prepared to export advanced computer chips and surveillance drones to Armenia and invest in infrastructure projects. The vice president framed the outreach as part of a wider effort to strengthen Armenia’s economy and integrate it into regional trade networks.

Pashinyan described the visit as “of truly historic and symbolic importance” and said it “reflects the depth of the strong and strategic partnership forged between the Republic of Armenia and the United States of America.”

Vance said the United States was focused on helping Armenia move toward peace and prosperity. “Peace is not made by cautious people,” he said. “Peace is not made by people who are too focused on the past. Peace is made by people who are focused on the future.”

Peace Process and Corridor Project

The visit follows an August 2025 White House summit hosted by President Donald Trump, where Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a joint declaration committing to a future peace treaty. Foreign ministers from both countries initialed a draft agreement, but it has yet to be formally signed or ratified by either parliament.

A key element of the proposed settlement is a major transit corridor through southern Armenia connecting Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave. The route, known as the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), is envisioned as a road-and-rail network linking Central Asia and the Caspian region to Europe while bypassing Russia and Iran.

The corridor has been one of the most contentious issues between the two countries. Azerbaijan views the opening of regional communications as a precondition for a comprehensive peace treaty, while Armenia has sought guarantees of sovereignty and security.

The planned route would provide Azerbaijan with a direct land link to Nakhchivan and onward to Türkiye, its key ally. It could also facilitate pipelines, fiber-optic cables, and trade routes that would reshape regional connectivity.

Vance said the initiative would help deliver both stability and economic growth. “We’re not just making peace for Armenia,” he said. “We’re also creating real prosperity for Armenia and the United States together.”

Background of the Conflict

Armenia and Azerbaijan have fought two wars over the disputed Karabakh region, known internationally as Nagorno-Karabakh. The region was controlled by ethnic Armenian forces backed by Armenia from the early 1990s until a six-week war in 2020 allowed Azerbaijan to regain significant territory.

In September 2023, Azerbaijan launched a military operation that ended three decades of separatist rule and restored full control over the region. Most of the enclave’s estimated 120,000 Armenian residents fled to Armenia following the offensive.

The conflict has left deep mistrust between the two nations, with unresolved issues including prisoners, missing persons, and the status of cultural and religious heritage sites in areas captured by Azerbaijan.

During his trip, Vance said the issue of Armenian detainees held in Azerbaijan was “certainly going to come up” in discussions with Azerbaijani leaders. More than 20 Armenian human rights groups have urged Washington to press for the release of detainees, and protests in Yerevan called for similar action.

Visit to Azerbaijan and Strategic Partnership

After leaving Armenia, Vance traveled to Baku, where he met President Aliyev and signed a strategic partnership agreement between the United States and Azerbaijan. The agreement covers defense cooperation, security, and economic ties.

Vance said the agreement “will formalize that partnership and make it very clear that the United States–Azerbaijan relationship will stick.” He also announced plans to provide patrol boats to help Azerbaijan protect its territorial waters.

Aliyev said relations with Washington were “entering a new phase,” particularly in defense cooperation through equipment sales and counterterrorism coordination.

The United States has played a sustained mediating role between the two countries, and officials say the visit was intended to advance Trump’s peace efforts and promote the TRIPP corridor project.

Vice President Vance before departing Armenia this morning:

"Part of keeping the peace is what we're doing today, which is building upon it, making sure that we have the economic interdependence between Armenia and Azerbaijan that's necessary to make the peace deal stick." pic.twitter.com/vvNIDv5TuM

— Vice President JD Vance (@VP) February 10, 2026

The U.S. State Department described the trip as part of a broader strategy to promote stability and economic integration across the South Caucasus.

Controversies and Sensitivities

The trip also sparked controversy after a post on the official U.S. vice presidential account said Vance and his wife had laid a wreath “at the Armenian Genocide memorial to honor the victims of the 1915 Armenian genocide.” The post was later deleted, with Vance’s office saying it had been published in error by staff not part of the delegation.

The issue remains highly sensitive. Armenia has long sought international recognition of the mass killings of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire as genocide, while Turkiye rejects the label and disputes casualty figures. President Trump previously avoided using the term in official commemorations.

Despite the tensions, the visit highlighted Washington’s growing involvement in the South Caucasus and its efforts to reshape regional dynamics through diplomacy, trade, and security cooperation.

With negotiations still ongoing and the draft peace treaty awaiting final signatures and ratification, Vance’s trip is seen as an attempt to push both sides toward a final settlement after nearly four decades of conflict.

Whether the combination of economic incentives, security guarantees, and infrastructure projects can deliver lasting peace remains uncertain, but U.S. officials say the goal is to transform the region into a corridor for trade, energy, and stability linking Asia and Europe.

.@VP @JDVance and Azerbaijan President Aliyev sign a charter on strategic partnership between the U.S. and Azerbaijan pic.twitter.com/YevGjfLIIT

— Taylor Van Kirk (@VPPressSec) February 10, 2026