BY APPO JABARIAN
US Secretary of State Marco Ru- bio’s arrival in Yerevan on May 26 further enhanced pro-Armenia Ameri- cans’ support of Armenia’s Sover- eignty, Independence, Democracy and Defence. What a difference just a few years of hard work and strategic thinking can do in moving Armenia from total in- ternational isolation to the forefront of positive international developments! During Fall 2020’s 44-Day anti- Armenian terrorist aggression by Rus- sia, ISIS, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Israel and Pakistan turned the world upside down for Armenia and Nagorno Kara- bakh. Armenia found itself in total in- ternational isolation. The Pashinyan administration was just two years-old and was actively targeted by Russian assets in Armenia – mainly the old re- gime kleptocracy joined by corrupt pro-Russia Armenian Army general officers, and a chorus of pro-Russia media outlets inside and outside Ar- menia. At the height of the 44-Day anti- Armenian terrorist aggression by Rus- sia, ISIS, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Israel and Pakistan, the United States and the European Union gave no more than lip service. The reason? Armenia was widely seen a state clearly in the Rus- sian orbit. A number of Western offi- cials bluntly said to USA ARMENIAN LIFE, that “Armenia is widely seen as Russian-leaning state.” Not anymore. What transpired in Washington DC between January 2021 and January 2025? A lot. Which Americans were instrumental in fostering a stronger economic, political and military alli- ance between the United States and the Republic of Armenia? That’s a topic for another day. On January 14, 2025, during the last few days of the Biden administra- tion, the U.S. and Armenia signed a Strategic Partnership Charter in Wash- ington, D.C. The agreement, formal- ized by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Armenian Foreign Min- ister Ararat Mirzoyan, established a robust framework to elevate bilateral ties, signaling a significant geopoliti- cal shift as Armenia pursues stronger Western integration. On August 8, 2025, during the first year of the Trump administration, the U.S. Secretary and Armenia Foreign Minister signed a Charter on a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the Re- public of Arme- nia and the Unit- ed States, and the United States of America-Repub- lic of Armenia Framework for Securing of Sup- ply in the Mining and Processing of Critical Minerals and Rare Earths. “With these de- velopments, the United States and Armenia demon- strate their joint commitment to expanding the bilateral relation- ship and contin- ue to fulfill the promises made in the Memoranda of Understanding signed by Presi- dent Trump and Prime Minister Pashinyan,” said a U.S. State Dept. official. In February 2026, Vice Presi- dent JD Vance made history by becoming the first sitting U.S. Vice President to visit Armenia. During his trip to Yerevan, he met with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and promoted the U.S.-brokered peace pro- cess between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Vance finalized negotiations for a civil nuclear cooperation deal, which per- mits multi-billion-dollar agreements in initial U.S. exports and long-term fuel and maintenance contracts to help Armenia reduce its reliance on foreign energy. In the Military & Tech spheres, Vance announced a million-dollar deal for U.S.-made reconnaissance drones and approved export licenses for high – powered NVIDIA chips to support Armenian AI infrastructure. In Dip- lomatic Messaging, Vance visited the Armenian Genocide Memorial to pay his respects, although the White House later deleted a social media post of his that referred to the events as the “Ar- menian genocide” to navigate complex diplomatic tensions. And now, in late May 2026, the international community is witnessing the further blossoming of the U.S.-Armenia strategic partnership. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Yerevan on May 26 in a show of support for Armenia’s Prime Minister Pashinyan and his adminis- tration, in the run-up to the June Ar- menian Parliamentary elections. The Rubio visit took place amid wide- spread reports of Russian interference and Russian-funded distribution of il- legal election bribes, as Pashinyan is moving forward on diversification of Armenia’s foreign alliance amid a his- toric peace agreement with Azerbaijan and normalization of relations with Turkiye. “Your entire team here in Armenia is blazing a trail toward a brighter and more independent future for Armenia,” Rubio said. “We’re very happy to be here to show our support for your courage, your vision, and your dedication. We can’t wait to do more together.” US President Donald Trump’s administration has been working on a road-and-rail initiative called the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), which would run through Armenia and connect Cen- tral Asian republics, Azerbaijan, Iran, Turkey, Europe, the Eastern Mediter- ranean basin and the Greater Middle East. Rubio said he took another step in the TRIPP project with Ar- menian Foreign Minis- ter Ararat Mirzoyan. “This agreement marks the biggest step to date on making this his- toric route a reality, on advancing peace and on increasing prosperity in Armenia and frankly in the region,” Rubio said at a signing ceremony at Yerevan airport. The TRIPP proj- ect came to life when Trump oversaw the his- toric peace agreement signed by Pashinyan and Azerbaijan Presi- dent Ilham Aliyev at the White House, ending decades of conflict. A traditional ally of Russia, Armenia moved under Pashinyan to- wards a pro-European future, recently hosting the European Political Community summit in Yerevan. Rubio also signed agreements in Yerevan to renew a broad stra- tegic partnership and to work together on critical minerals, a key priority for Washington as China dominates the resource vital to modern technologies. “We are laying the groundwork for the sort of economic engagement that allows Armenians to make money and find prosperity and Americans to do the same and to do it together, which is one of the strongest ways to bind na- tions with one another,” Rubio said. Rubio said that Washington was “always doing it in a way that respects your sovereignty as a nation.” Mirzoyan said he hoped to see the agreements implemented on the ground and called them “truly benefi- cial for the Republic of Armenia.”