U.S. vice-president`s visit to Armenia: Armenian premier on future  investments and Armenia`s prospects 

ArmInfo. In practical terms, Yerevan received what it expected from US Vice President J.D. Vance's visit, but it should also be noted that the atmosphere of the visit was much more pleasant and positive than expected. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this in an interview with Public  Television.

"I am very pleased to note that it (the visit) was received very  positively by our public. And this is, perhaps, an important and very  expressive example of a balanced and balanced foreign policy, the  results of which we are seeing," Pashinyan said.

According to him, the economic context of the visit is very  important, because a visit by a US Vice President, "and especially a  visit by such a prominent political figure as James DeVance,  naturally draws the world's attention to Armenia." It is also crucial  that the attention of the US investment community be further drawn to  the investment opportunities that have opened and are opening in  Armenia. Pashinyan also touched on the discussions surrounding  figures. As a reminder, Vance announced in Yerevan a $9 billion  phased investment under the <123> agreement as part of cooperation  with Armenia on peaceful nuclear energy. "This will pave the way for  American and Armenian companies to conclude deals on civil nuclear  energy projects. This represents up to $5 billion in initial American  exports, plus an additional $4 billion in long-term support through  fuel supply and maintenance contracts," the US Vice President stated  at a briefing in Yerevan. However, due to a mistranslation, many  interpreted this statement as information about a $9 billion  investment in the classic sense.

"It is very important to note that the US Vice President, by  publishing these large figures, is demonstrating the US's strong  political will to support investment in Armenia. These large figures  need to be clarified and translated into specific projects, specific  addresses, specific locations, and, of course, the areas you've  already mentioned." For the first time, we are and will continue to  cooperate with the United States in the field of defense, but it is  very important to note that all of this is in fact the result of a  peace agenda," the Armenian Prime Minister stated.

According to Pashinyan, Armenia is expecting a "massive influx of  money," including investments in the future railway. "One unit of  investment in certain areas brings two more, in some places three, in  some places four units of investment, and, essentially, we are  talking about forming a new investment ecosystem, because a railway  is a railway, but it is not only tracks; it is also access roads,  other services, high-tech equipment, and so on, not to mention  passenger, freight, and other transportation services. Moreover,  look, we are saying and doing the right things; we are focused on the  railway, and that is good, that is correct, but we are talking about  new power lines, new pipelines, cables, which are very important.  Let's connect these cables to the new supercomputer center being  built in Hrazdan, which will provide regional and international  artificial intelligence services, combine all this with tourist  flows, and so on, and we will see-that is, here, investment begets  investment. They usually say something similar about the tech sector:   one job created in the tech sector creates three or four, sometimes  they talk about five jobs in other sectors, and here we are dealing  with the same phenomenon, the same effect," he stated.

J.D. Vance arrived in Armenia on February 9 for an official two-day  visit. Following talks between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol  Pashinyan and the US Vice President, it was announced that Washington  would supply Yerevan with $11 million worth of reconnaissance drones.  An agreement was also signed to continue cooperation in the  development of civilian nuclear energy worth $9 billion, under which  Yerevan will receive small modular reactor technology. The two  countries' politicians also discussed trade issues, with special  attention paid to the sale of advanced American computer chips to  Armenia, as the country plans to establish a powerful AI center.  Other agreements included American investments in transportation  infrastructure, particularly as part of the Trump Route for Peace and  Prosperity Project (TRIPP).