The United States pledged to advance a proposed road and rail corridor through Armenia during a brief visit to Yerevan by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The project aims to connect Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave through Armenian territory, in what officials describe as a step toward greater regional peace and economic growth. Rubio and Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan signed an agreement outlining the next phase of the initiative, including plans for a joint venture and an engineering survey.

The corridor plan, promoted by President Donald Trump’s administration, envisions significant United States investment and participation in a development company overseeing the route. Armenian leaders have stressed that the corridor will remain under Armenia’s sovereignty, seeking to balance closer ties with Washington while managing relations with neighboring Iran and longtime ally Russia.

During the visit, the two sides also renewed a broader strategic partnership and agreed to cooperate on critical minerals, a sector seen as vital for modern technologies. Armenian officials expressed hope that the agreements would bring tangible economic benefits as the country deepens engagement with Western partners following tensions with Moscow after Azerbaijan regained control of the Karabakh region in 2023.