Pashinyan, Rubio Discuss Armenia-U.S. Strategic Partnership, Regional Issues

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Tuesday held a telephone conversation with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

According to a statement issued by the prime minister’s office, the two discussed issues related to Armenia’s strategic partnership with the United States, as well as regional matters.

Days before the change of the U.S. Administration, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan flew to Washington and signed a strategic partnership agreement with then Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Among other aspects, Blinken promised that a team of border guards would be dispatched to Armenia “in the coming weeks” to provide assistance to that sector.

Pashinyan’s office did not provide specifics, only mentioning that the said agreement was part of his conversation with Rubio.

Pashinyan reportedly also briefed Rubio on the negotiation processes that resulted in reaching an agreement on the draft peace agreement with Azerbaijan.

He emphasized that the agreement was ready to be signed.

The statement also indicated that Pashinyan and Rubio agreed to maintain “high-level Armenia-U.S. contacts.”

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said the telephone conversation centered on the “shared interests as strategic partners.”

“The Secretary welcomed the agreement on a peace treaty with Azerbaijan and underlined the importance of a lasting peace to break the cycle of regional conflict and bring security and prosperity to the South Caucasus,” Bruce said in a statement.

“The Secretary and Prime Minister agreed that escalation of any form in the South Caucasus is unacceptable,” Bruce added.