YEREVAN—In a significant shift for Armenia’s foreign policy, Armenia and the United States signed a Strategic Partnership Charter on January 14, 2025, in Washington, D.C. The agreement was signed by Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, setting the stage for enhanced bilateral cooperation across multiple sectors.
The Charter establishes a comprehensive framework for cooperation between the two nations, focusing on areas including defense and security, economic development, democratic reforms, energy, technology and people-to-people relations. This agreement represents a strategic pivot, with Armenia looking to deepen its ties with the United States while balancing its relationships with other regional powers.
At the signing ceremony, Foreign Minister Mirzoyan emphasized that the Charter “provides a robust framework and injects greater ambition into our cooperation.” The partnership seeks to expand economic and energy ties, deepen defense and security collaboration, reinforce democratic institutions, promote justice and the rule of law, and foster innovation on high technologies.
The agreement also creates a Strategic Partnership Commission. Secretary Blinken noted that both countries have already made significant progress in areas like border security, and future efforts would build on this momentum.
Secretary Blinken also announced that, in the coming weeks, the United States will send a Customs and Border Patrol team to Armenia to work on “border security capacity building, strengthening security cooperation [and] enhancing Armenia’s peacekeeping capabilities through exercises like Eagle Partner.” Eagle Partner is a U.S.-Armenia military peacekeeping drill.
In terms of security, both nations reiterated their commitment to the principle of mutual support for each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The partnership is set to enhance Armenia’s defense capabilities through military training exercises, nuclear energy cooperation and joint commitment to nuclear nonproliferation.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has welcomed the agreement, noting that it reflects Armenia’s commitment to a “balanced and balancing foreign policy” which ensures the country’s “independence, sovereignty and statehood’s perpetuity.” PM Pashinyan highlighted that Armenia is deepening ties with the United States, while maintaining strong relationships with other regional and global powers, including Russia, Iran, Georgia and the European Union.
Regarding relations with Russia, Pashinyan said that Armenia’s partnership with Russia is “pragmatic,” focused on mutual cooperation and sovereignty. He also noted that Armenia’s relationships with the European Union and France are stronger than ever.
However, in a press conference on January 14, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov spoke more critically about the state of Armenia-Russia relations. While remarking that the peoples of Armenia and Russia share a deep historical friendship, he said that relations have become unclear, reflecting the complexity of Armenia’s foreign policy choices in the present geopolitical climate.
“The signing of a strategic partnership with the U.S. is, of course, Armenia’s decision, and Russia does not impose restrictions on who Armenia can work with,” Lavrov said. “What matters most is not the label of the agreement but its substantive outcomes — what Armenia stands to gain from such a partnership.”
Lavrov cited remarks made by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk, who warned that Armenia’s simultaneous pursuit of membership in the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) is incompatible. According to Overchuk, the EU and EAEU represent two distinct trade zones, making it “simply impossible” for Armenia to be a member of both.
“This is undeniably a sovereign decision of the Armenian leadership to pursue integration with any international organization,” Lavrov stated. “However, it is also the responsibility of Armenia’s leadership to weigh the pros and cons of such moves, especially in terms of their economic and political implications.”
Last week, the Armenian government backed a draft law in parliament on the “start of a process of Armenia’s accession to the European Union.”
Lavrov further addressed Armenia’s participation in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), which has been a key element of its security policy. According to Lavrov, Armenia has effectively suspended its active participation in CSTO meetings and events. The Russian minister clarified that Armenia has not blocked CSTO decisions and the organization’s activities continue as usual.
“Armenia has paused its participation in CSTO events, but to be fair, they have made it clear that they are not obstructing the decisions of the organization,” Lavrov said. “Thus, the CSTO’s work continues, even though Armenia’s involvement is currently limited.”
Lavrov also confirmed that FM Mirzoyan has been invited to Russia and he has accepted the invitation. The visit is expected to take place in the near future, reflecting continued diplomatic engagement between the two countries, despite their recent differences.
Some critics of the U.S.-Armenia Strategic Partnership Charter argue that its implications for Armenia’s relations with Russia and Azerbaijan could lead to further tensions in the region. They suggest that the partnership could provoke a swift response from Azerbaijan, especially in light of ongoing negotiations over the Artsakh conflict and the Armenia-Azerbaijan border delimitation process.
Political scientist Suren Sargsyan has argued that while the agreement represents a strengthening of ties, it should not be confused with a full-fledged military alliance. It does not resemble the defense agreements between the U.S. and its allies Israel and the United Kingdom, where mutual security guarantees and military cooperation are central, Sargsyan wrote on Facebook.
One critical distinction is that the United States has made it clear that it will not provide Armenia with security guarantees or military aid, Sargsyan argued. This suggests that while the partnership will likely focus on economic collaboration, trade and diplomatic support, it will not extend to mutual defense obligations or the establishment of American military bases on Armenian soil.
The agreement comes at a time of rising geopolitical tensions in the region, particularly regarding Russia and Iran. Sargsyan argued that the timing of the agreement sends a strategic message to Russia and Iran, as both countries prepare to sign a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement of their own in Moscow on January 17.
This, according to Sargsyan, places Armenia in a delicate position. While it moves closer to the West, it risks alienating its traditional allies in Moscow and Tehran, who may view the partnership as a counterbalance to their influence in the region.
For Armenia’s leadership, the new partnership is seen as an avenue to diversify the country’s foreign policy and reduce dependency on Russia. However, Hrant Malik Shahnazaryan, Chairman of the Voskanapat Center for Strategic Research, suggested that this shift comes with significant risks. He argued that by aligning with the U.S., Armenia could provoke geopolitical confrontations with Azerbaijan and Turkey.
In a social media post, Shahnazaryan said that while Armenia may seek to strengthen its ties with Western powers, the long-term costs of alienating Russia and Iran are uncertain. Armenia’s position between Azerbaijan, Turkey and the broader Iranian-Russian alliance creates a precarious balance, one that may become increasingly difficult to maintain. Shahnazaryan warned that by moving closer to Western powers, Armenia risks becoming a battleground for competing geopolitical interests.
In particular, Armenia’s Syunik province could become a flashpoint. Shahnazaryan suggested that Azerbaijan, already emboldened by its success in Artsakh, might see this new partnership as justification for further military action. Should such an escalation occur, Armenia could find itself drawn into a larger conflict, with Russia and Iran on one side and the U.S. and Azerbaijan on the other.
Hoory Minoyan
Latest posts by Hoory Minoyan (see all)
- The Region in Brief - January 29, 2025
- PM Pashinyan’s comments on Armenian Genocide spark accusations of denialism - January 29, 2025
- The Region in Brief - January 22, 2025
Delusional and meaningless.
99.99% of Americans can’t find Armenia on a map.
The Americans are not going to bomb Turkey when the Turks invade.
The only people who will support this are the ones who failed their geography exams at school.
Dont Forget that France has pledged full military support in case Azerbaijan or Turkey try to pressure the opening of the sa called Zangezur corridor. Iran has pledged time and time also in the meting of the Iranian president and Pashinyan , the Iranian president repeated that Iran’s supreme leader has emphasized again that any interference of Azerbaijan in the Siunic province of Armenian will result a military action by Iran. In short , the question of the so called Zangezur corridor is a NO.
Azerbaijan already attacked Armenia and is occupying 200 km2 of Armenia’s territory since 2021.
The French did nothing, will do nothing and can do nothing from afar.
Turkey (Azerbaijan’s big brother and ally, which won Azerbaijan’s war in Artsakh for them) and Georgia (which is increasingly coming under the Russian orbit) would not allow the French to use their airspace and territory to aid Armenia.
Turkey always blocks its airspace to military planes, and also blocks flights by Western politicians, to Armenia.
Military aid to Armenia only comes via Georgian airspace. Whether Georgia will continue to open its airspace for military aid for Armenia, looks uncertain, if it does the bidding of Russia.
Would the French come via Iran? Very unlikely, since Iran’s relations with France and the West are very strained, just like Russia. All of Armenia’s neighbors oppose the presence of Western troops. If Armenia indeed aligns with the West, especially with its enemy the US, Iran won’t come to the aid of Armenia either, even though it is opposed to the land corridor in Syunik.
Pashinyan is not a chess player, but a very bad gambler.
This agreement is a fantasy and a big foreign policy blunder, one of the many disastrous foreign policy blunders by the totally inept and reckless Pashinyan/Mirzoyan duo.
It won’t provide any benefits, any contribution to Armenia. It is symbolic and will remain so on paper.
Will the United States or the West come to the aid of Armenia, when it is attacked? No. They didn’t then and won’t in the future.
Apart from alienating Russia even further, it will also alienate Iran, which is Armenia’s only friendly neighbor left – not that they helped Armenia during the Second Artsakh War and against Azerbaijan’s continuing occupation of Armenia’s territory, and very likely won’t in the future, if Armenia’s Syunik Province is indeed attacked and grabbed by Azerbaijan.
It is a fantasy to expect a landlocked country in Western Asia, far from Europe and very far from the United States, like Armenia, which is surrounded by hostile neighbors, which are all anti-West (including the increasingly authoritarian Georgia), to become part of the Western World, part of the EU and part of NATO (which would be blocked by NATO member Turkey).
Aligning openly with one side – and with absolutely no security guarantees whatsoever, in this case with the United States and the West, will only spell trouble for Armenia, and unite all its neighbors against Armenia.
Instead of openly choosing a side that will only harm Armenia even further, Armenia needs to pursue a smart Machiavellian foreign policy that is based on Realpolitik and not on fantasies.
But with the disastrous Pashinyan/Mirzoyan duo at the helm, Armenia is lurching from one disaster to the next.
But it is already Machiavellian. Maybe you haven’t noticed. Also, Georgia is not anti-Western.
I wish Armenia’s foreign policy was Machiavellian. As master strategists, Metternich’s, Bismarck’s or Kissinger’s foreign policy were Machiavellian, and were very successful. Pashinyan’s “foreign policy”, if one may call it that, is downright reckless and perilous, and is equivalent of playing Russian roulette with the well-being, security and destiny of Armenia. Georgia is gradually becoming authoritarian and is turning away from Europe, whose relations with them have become strained as a result. Georgia, which is Armenia’s “lifeline”, may become compromised, especially if Armenia becomes firmly pro-West (anti-Russian in Russia’s eyes) and Georgia becomes anti-West and pro-Russian.
This clearly and definitely is not a military alliance between Armenia and the United States. It is the next move, among many, by the US intended more to send a message to neighboring countries, Iran-Artificial Azerbaijan-Russia, than anything else and Armenia is once again being used in the process. I think by this move US is trying to send a message to Iran primarily that US will now have much more of a presence in the region and in Iran’s backyard in particular now that all Iran’s proxies, Assad-Hamas-Hezbollah, have been toppled and set back decades in terms of their military strength. Assad seems to have been the middleman between Iran and the other two in terms to Iran’s military assistance and arms transfers used against Iran’s arch-enemy and US’s closest ally Israel. That link and connection has been broken and it no longer exists which has weakened Iran’s influence in that part of the world and made Iran much more vulnerable and even more isolated at home. In the case of our arch-enemy artificial Azerbaijan, US is trying to force their hands to choose where they stand in terms of their alliance with the West and Russia, since they have been flip-flopping between the two lately, and US is doing this by standing firm, on the surface and on paper only, for Armenia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, meaning they will be watching Azerbaijani criminal activities much more closely which may or may not be a deterrence for their further attacks on Armenian interests, but without any mention of joint Turkish-Azerbaijani ethnic cleansing of the indigenous Armenians from Artsakh and their right of return. As far as Russia is concerned, given their ambivalence in this conflict brought about by the election of western-oriented Pashinyan and the war in Ukraine, they may be forced to either improve their relations with Armenia since they need Armenia and want to keep it in their orbit or this may cause Russia to become even more hostile towards Armenia and show that hostility via Azerbaijan.
Furthermore, assuming there is any substance to this joint agreement between the US and Armenia, this move by US has placed our Azerbaijani arch-enemy in a very uncomfortable situation because they obviously don’t want to be pushed to get any closer to Russia as a result of this move by the US with their Armenian arch-enemy than they need to and only when they can exploit the rift between Armenia and Russia but that now there will be many more western observers watching their anti-Armenian activities which will throw a monkey wrench into their long-term plans, that is to sabotage or disrupt their intended plans, which will force them to weigh the pros and cons of working with or against the US. Their alternative is having an antagonistic relations with the US as a result of this treaty and forge a much closer relations with Turkey which ultimately wants to turn artificial Azerbaijan into a Turkish province and the US arch-enemy Russia which they worked for three decades to get rid of from their backyard. We shall see.
@ Ararat, interesting points made. Azerbaijan which had seemingly played it well post 1994 may well be losing the plot. Whilst it’s warm relationship with Israel no doubt put them in good stead in Washington. It’s increasingly warm relationship with Russia is something that Israel can’t help them greatly should the USA take an unfavorable view of Azerbaijan friendship with Russia, indeed Rhodesia, South Africa and Serbia were nations who were at odds with the USA whilst Israel seemed all friendly yet it’s clear Israel knew who mattered and possibly playing good cop to USA bad cop indeed it seems that Russia too has fallen for this trick, Putin despite the decline of relationships with the USA Israel best ally still maintained a cordial relationship with Israel. Indeed to this end wouldn’t supply Assad’s Syria with defensive weapons against Israeli attacks and seemed to think that by not supporting Syria when attacked by Israel let alone Iran and Hezbollah whom it would cooperate with against militants such as Islamic state that it could avoid being tied to them what seemed to have been lost on Putin was that Russia fate in Syria was actually tied to theirs as was clear with the collapse of Hezbollah and Iran in Syria indeed Iran had long suspicions of Russian betrayal and Kremlin shill Andrew korybko would write in global research about Russia and Israel coordinating circumstances for Iranian departure from Syria. Syria kept weak by Russia and suspected and now since overthrow revealing papers in the Presidential palace was in fact seeking to distance from Iran to curry favour with Arabs and assuage Israel. After all it would have the increasingly hollow and pathetic “reserves the right to respond” in regard to Israeli attacks. Armenia has every right to review it’s relationship with Russia it had been a major supplier of weapons to Azerbaijan along with sidekick Belarus and CTSO ally Kazakhstan commended Azerbaijan in 2020 I’m not sure of the posture of Kyrgyzstan although Turkic would favour Azerbaijan and Tajikistan as Iranian might have been more sympathetic to Armenia. Thus what’s the point of being in such an alliance. Currently relationship between Russia and Azerbaijan has been strained by the plane shootdown and more significantly the nonsense stated by Russia of the circumstances and their plausible claim that Russia by not allowing the damaged plane to land as intended or nearby in Russia although it could have tried to return to Azerbaijan? and hoping it would crash in the Caspian sea rendering it much harder to demonstrate what actually happened. Azerbaijan justified actually anger with Russia is on the principle of not what was done, an accident although poor management not to have closed the airspace in response to drone attacks but what was done not allowing the damaged plane to land and said the gas cylinder explosion and flock of birds lies when the plane was struck by missile shrapnel as clear on the tail of the plane. Also interesting was Ukraine which had been pro Azerbaijan declined to accept Azeri proposal for a gas swap with the pipeline transit which came to an end on New year’s day so the gas originating in Russia would have been sold to Azerbaijan who would supply Russia with gas from it’s own wells. It’s likely that the friendship agreement between Russia and Azerbaijan on the eve of Russia invasion of Ukraine something of which Azerbaijan state services like most countries in the world must have sensed was imminent hasn’t passed unoticed in Ukraine and USA, thus could be said that Azerbaijan which had generally managed a more dynamic foreign policy post independence than Armenia may well be losing it’s touch. Although as thick as thieves Turkey and Azerbaijan do have differences Azeris resent Turkish dominance and their obvious second fiddle status and the Turks being more bastardised from the original Turanians in turn the Turks especially the westerners regard the Azeris as culturally backward and having the wrong form of Islam and despotic personality cult tendancies around the Alyiev clan note that Erdogan doesn’t foster a personality cult to Alyiev extent. Perhaps Russia will have to learn to look after it’s friends better if it wants to keep them such as Armenia and Syria… In turn as Armenia has had to learn not to be beholden to a single power and think that as it’s only legal ally in the area that it would always have the full support of Russia and how previous policies of selling national assets to Russia didn’t bind Russia to Armenia and it’s interests but allowed them to exploit monopolise and take Armenia for granted. As for the relationship with Iran, who along with Europe opposes the principle of an Azeri corridor through Armenia putting it at odds with Russia. Armenia should resist pressure to serve as an anti Iran front, citing the ancient cordiality between the Armenian and Iranian people’s it should be noted that the USA and Israel are intent on overthrowing the clerical regime, noting it’s setbacks the that Russia doesn’t in accordance with Byzantine strategy protect its allies to a meaningful extent it seems thus IF in the event of the clerical regime being ousted and a USA friendly regime put in place there is no reason that Armenia and Iran can’t continue their ancient cordiality and have Less obstruction from Russia such as it’s hobbling the gas pipeline from Iran to 700mm bore upon reaching Armenia where in Iran it’s 1450mm so don’t feel too sorry for Russia losing it’s gas market through lawfare and warfare it hobbled Armenia chances as a transit country to Europe when Armenia was a dutifully loyal country.
Perhaps a balanced survey of Americans perhaps excluding those of Armenian ancestry should be done to determine whether it really is 99.99% or 1 in 10’000 who can’t find Armenia on the map, before quoting this cliché.
Given the imminent end of the Biden government it’s an odd action for Armenia to take although it’s also an anti Turkey action of the USA reflecting the distance between the two and Biden own longstanding distrust of Turkey.
A 10 year old child can look at a map and immediately know what Armenia’s policy should be.
Pashinyan is 49 and worse than a child, delusionally chasing after a chimera
It is to be hoped that there are enough Armenians who know Geography and who can avoid disaster.
Its nice to have friends like France and the USA but remember that the only smart thing
for Armenia to do is now to build up immediately a modern and strong Army Remember when Aliev kick out 120 000 Armenians from Artsakh no one came to our help .Neither France neither the USA. Remember there s no oil or gas in Armenia. Armenia must build up its army . No one is coming to fight for us. The Kurds say we have no friends but our mountains, And so is the same for Armenians we have no friends but our mountains
“It may be dangerous to be America’s enemy, but to be America’s friend is fatal.”
– Henry Kissinger
I now see why they say Gurgens are smart :)
Everybody, including Nikol’s Soros financed regime, knows that the US couldn’t care less about Armenia and/or Armenians. Nikol is just setting the stage for the loss of Syunik. He wants to give Turks and Azeris their corridor but he first needs a scapegoat to blame. Ultimately, that scapegoat is Russia. Since Russians are embroiled in an existential war against the collective West in Ukraine, and therefore have more important things to do than babysit Armenia’s “wilding” peasantry, Nikol knows he has a window of opportunity…
If Pashinyan wanted to gift a corridor through Armenia he would have done it in late 2020 early 2021 . Russia currently reducing its presence and distrusted due to its failure to uphold it’s obligations to Armenians in Arktash. Would spitefully be happy to see Armenia further mutilated . Remember Russia would never defend Syria against Israeli attacks and refuse to provide Syria with defensive weapons for such and arranged deals with Turkey allowing them presence and thought that by not supporting Iran and Hezbollah whom it would coordinate with against militants when they were attacked by Israel it would avoid it’s fate being tied to theirs as we all know their collapse in Syria which left Assad who was decrepit exposed and his collapse means that the efforts have fallen apart and Russia will have to withdraw from Syria. Pashinyan can’t be blamed for ANY of the failure of Russian interests in Syria due to its Byzantine duplicious strategy.
Armenia is dead man walking with this puppet regime.
@Charlie
What’s your angle? An English man, who’s country is rapidly turcophile, constantly commenting hatred against Russia, thus leaving Armenia to only deal with Turks?
Are you a freak?
@Yakub
Russia doesn’t help itself at all manipulation of the contentions between Armenia and Azerbaijan, taking Armenia for granted selling lots of weapons to Azerbaijan to be used on Armenia. Having a tie in which prevented Armenia from buying weapons from NATO countries no such encumbrances on Azerbaijan allowing Armenia to fall behind to be savaged in 2020. Telling Armenia to withdraw from internationally recognised Azerbaijan yet would go on to invade Ukraine and seek annexations of its internationally recognised territory. The government might be Turkophile but the people are suspicious of the pop up excessively well staffed Turkish barbers and their drug money laundering and harassment of schoolgirls .
Don’t hate Russia but the current reckonings should lead to a sober review of Russia and less infatuation and just be realistic and not carried away with idealistic wishful thinking which had been rife. Remember Turkey isn’t on Russia unfriendly countries list. It’s the infatuation with Russia led to much the current woes ignoring that Russia has been fast and loose with Armenia. Remember for Syria Assad was so pro Russian and now an exile and it’s nothing to do with Pashinyan!
@Charlie
Not answering the question. Your modus operandi as usual.
Why does an Englishman, whose country is very pro turk, keep attacking Russia on an Armenian forum, so that Armenia’s only option would be to deal with Turkey?
Charlie, answer the question. Not your political dribble. Weirdo.
Yakub ask yourself why does Russia treat Armenia in such a derisory way and why under Putin and lavarov Russia relationship with most of the former soviet union has declined. Maybe it’s how they behave after all issues with other countries can’t be linked to Pashinyan etc. Armenia ultimately has to come to some arrangement with Turkey allowing the issues to fester for generations is allowing Russia to monopolise and abuse Armenia. This doesn’t mean that Turkey is in the right at all but they are a neighbour and one has to acknowledge reality.
I’m not of the Slava Ukraine brigade either they are being played by the west and the Europe they believe they are fighting for doesn’t exist but that’s another story. Russia has treated Armenia rather badly taking advantage of the issues and due to the anger and trauma from Turkish activities has meant too much expedient generosity and not actually realising that just because Turkey and Azerbaijan are enemies doesn’t exactly mean that Russia is a friend . The UK state might have a bias towards Turkey “vital NATO ally” etc but it doesn’t mean the people do or because we have a monarchy doesn’t mean that people are always monarchists and so on.
QUESTIONS:
At present, know that Russia is unreliable (and if we’re honest, has always been so in various ways) and has snuggled up to Armenia’s sworn, genocidal enemies, Azerbaijan and Turkey.
Recall too that Russia pushed the infamous Protocols of 2008 on Armenia.
The West is unreliable too, and pro-Turkish, enabling pan-Turkism. That’s bad.
Don’t pick one over the other.
How to re-establish a respectful relationship with Russia?
What can Armenia do to maneuver between Russia and the West?
Assume that Pashinyan is not in power any longer.
At the end of the day, let’s not forget that Mr. Pashinyan represents the democratic will of the Armenian people. Armenia is now a “Westernized” country with “European” aspirations, remember? So please show the duly-elected leader of Armenia some respect, as he is the Western-financed political activist a clear majority of our “people”, both in the homeland and in the diaspora, wanted to lead Armenia not only in 2018 but also in 2020, 2021 and 2023. So, if you naysayers believe in “democracy”, “Westernization” and “the American way”, stop your complaining and start supporting Mr. Pashinyan in his historic mission, a mission he was given a mandate for by the “people”…
I would really like to see Russia cut-off all financial, economic and energy ties with Armenia and take its troops stationed on Armenia’s border with Turkey back to Russia. Sometimes you just have to let a terminally ill patient die…
“Western financed’? Come on. Is Sakashvili also ‘Western financed”?