US Vice President JD Vance will visit Armenia and Azerbaijan this week to push the Washington-brokered peace agreement that could transform energy and trade routes in the strategic South Caucasus region. His two-day trip to Armenia, which begins today on 9 February, comes six months after the Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders signed an agreement at the White House seen as the first step towards peace after nearly 40 years of war.
A key focus of the visit is the proposed Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), a corridor that would link Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave and onward to Turkey. Backed by Washington, the project is intended in-part to improve connectivity between Asia and Europe while bypassing Russia and Iran.
"Vance's visit should serve to reaffirm the U.S.'s commitment to seeing the Trump Route through", said Joshua Kucera, a senior South Caucasus analyst at Crisis Group.
"In a region like the Caucasus, even a small amount of attention from the U.S. can make a significant impact".
The Armenian government said on Monday that Vance would hold talks with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and that both men would then make statements, without elaborating.
Vance will then visit Azerbaijan on Wednesday and Thursday, the White House has said.
Source: commonspace.eu with Reuters
