On Tuesday, February 10, Vice President J.D. Vance of the United States visited Azerbaijan, where both sides signed a strategic partnership agreement.
The cooperation agreement was initially proposed during a meeting at the White House last August between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and US President Trump. With mediation from the White House, Aliyev and his longtime adversary, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, reached a peace agreement in Washington D.C., ending a decades-long conflict.
This marks the first visit by a sitting US Vice President to the South Caucasus region. The purpose of this trip is to strengthen support for the peace agreement brokered by the United States in the region and to advance a key strategic transit corridor reshaping trade, energy, and influence in the region.
Vance’s first stop was Armenia, where he signed an agreement with Pashinyan that could pave the way for US involvement in building a nuclear power plant in Armenia.
The second stop was Azerbaijan. Aliyev stated that the cooperation between the two countries in defense sales and artificial intelligence is entering “a new stage,” and they will continue collaborating in energy security and counterterrorism.
According to a post-meeting statement, the US will provide Azerbaijan with new ships to help strengthen its maritime security.
AzerNEWS reported that Vance mentioned the “Trump International Peace and Prosperity Route” project initiated in August last year, focusing on cooperation in the economic, natural resources, and critical minerals sectors to advance peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
Vance’s plane landed at the Heydar Aliyev International Airport in Baku, as reported by the Azerbaijani state news agency APA. Both countries’ flags were raised at the airport, and a guard of honor welcomed the senior US official.
Prior to Vance’s arrival, Aliyev noted that this visit signifies “a hopeful new era in bilateral relations.”
Vance recently concluded his visit to Armenia, where both countries agreed to cooperate in the civilian nuclear energy sector.
Vance mentioned the US readiness to export advanced computer chips and surveillance drones to Armenia and invest in the country’s infrastructure development.
Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan highlighted the significant historical and symbolic importance of Vance’s visit, reflecting the deep and solid strategic partnership between Armenia and the United States.
Russia traditionally views the South Caucasus as its sphere of influence, but its influence in the region has weakened due to its invasion of Ukraine.
Six months ago, with mediation from the Trump administration, Azerbaijani President Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan signed a peace agreement at the White House aimed at ending the nearly 40-year conflict between the two countries. This agreement paves the way for reopening key transportation corridors in the South Caucasus closed since the early 1990s, first for goods transport and eventually for human mobility.
The proposed 43-kilometer-long railroad corridor, the TRIPP, will pass through Armenia, connecting Azerbaijan to its Nakhichevan exclave, while also establishing a new East-West trade route bypassing Russia and Iran.
The United States has been playing a persistent mediating role between the two nations of the South Caucasus, driving the reconciliation process following the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war.
The conflict ended with a military victory for Azerbaijan, allowing the country to reclaim sovereignty over territories long controlled by Armenian forces since the 1990s.