US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan during a refueling stop at Zvartnots airport in Yerevan. Rubio publicly praised Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and Armenia’s leadership for pursuing a more independent future. Pashinian is seeking reelection on June 7 as Armenia shifts away from Russia and toward Western ties. Armenia has frozen its membership in the Russian-led CSTO and hosted a summit with European leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, drawing criticism from Moscow. A day earlier, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov warned Armenia could lose favorable Russian gas prices if it moved away from Russia. Rubio and Mirzoyan initialed an agreement on the TRIPP “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity,” proposing a 43-kilometer road-and-rail corridor linking Azerbaijan to Nakhchivan and creating an east-west trade route bypassing Russia and Iran.
"Speaking next to Mirzoyan, Rubio said: "Both yourself and the prime minister and your entire team here in Armenia are blazing the trail towards a brighter and more independent future for Armenia." Rubio added: "I am very happy to be here to show my support for their courage, my support for their vision, my support for their dedication, my support for their willingness to see for the future of their country and what it takes to get there.""
"Pashinyan, who came to power on the back of anti-corruption street protests in 2018, is seeking reelection on June 7 as he attempts to reorient his country away from Russia and toward the West. He has frozen Armenia's membership in the Russian-led CSTO military alliance and, earlier in May, hosted a summitwith several European leaders that was also attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, triggering criticism from Moscow."
"A day before Rubio's visit, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Armenia, which still is dependent on Russian energy supplies, could lose "a very, very attractive and more than preferential price for Russian gas" if it turned away from Russia. During Rubio's visit, the two ministers initialed an agreement on the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP)."
"The proposed 43-kilometer road-and-rail corridor through Armenia would link Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave while opening a new east-west trade artery bypassing Russia and Iran. The transit route is part of a peace agreement brokered by US President Donald Trump in August 2025 between Pashinian and Azerbaijani President Ilham A"
Read at RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty
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