US Secretary of State Marco Rubio made a stopover in the South Caucasus republic of Armenia on Tuesday on his return journey from India, meeting his counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan and signing a memorandum on strategic cooperation, a dpa correspondent on the ground reported.
Political observers believe that this first visit by a US secretary of state since 2014 serves to strengthen Washington’s role in the region.
At a joint press conference, Mirzoyan praised the state of bilateral relations and the US mediation under President Donald Trump in Armenia’s conflict with neighbouring Azerbaijan.
As part of the conflict resolution, Washington has proposed the establishment of a road and rail corridor through Armenia – which would also be lucrative for the United States – connecting two parts of Azerbaijan.
The project bears the grandiose name Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP).
Yerevan, which traditionally maintains good relations with Moscow and Tehran, has turned increasingly towards the West under Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
Relations with Russia, in particular, have cooled significantly. Shortly before the parliamentary elections in Armenia on June 7, Moscow imposed import restrictions on a range of products from the country.
The US, for its part, has been at war with Iran for months and is therefore seeking to exert greater influence over its neighbouring countries.
