Category: News

Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has published the text of the Republic of Armenia – United States of America Framework for Securing Supply in the Mining and Processing of Critical Minerals and Rare Earths.

The memorandum was signed by Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Yerevan on May 26.

The full text is presented below:

Whereas, critical minerals are essential for the production of advanced technologies;

Whereas, the Government of the Republic of Armenia and the Government of the United States of America (the “United States” or “U.S.”), (hereinafter, the “Participants”) intend to support the supply of raw and processed critical minerals crucial to the commercial and defense industries of both countries;

Whereas, the Participants plan to accomplish this through the use of economic policy tools and coordinated investment to accelerate the development of diversified, liquid, and fair markets for critical minerals;

Whereas, the Participants’ objective is to assist both countries in achieving resilience and security of critical minerals supply chains, including mining, separation, and processing within their respective territories;

Whereas, the Participants intend to capitalize on their respective existing domestic mining and processing operations in critical minerals, as well as new capacity to be made available in 2026 and beyond.

Therefore, the Participants have reached the following understanding on a common policy framework for the mining and processing of critical minerals.

Section I

Critical Minerals

Securing Supply: The Participants intend to explore ways to enhance cooperation to accelerate the secure supply of critical minerals necessary to support the manufacturing of advanced technologies and their respective industrial bases. This includes leveraging existing policy tools such as the industrial demand and stockpiling infrastructure. The Participants also recognize the importance of the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) in supporting the transit of critical minerals from South Caucasus and Central Asia. 

Investment in Mining, Processing and Restoration: The Participants intend to mobilize government and private sector support, including capital and operational expenditures via guarantees, loans, equity investments, finalization of offtake arrangements, insurance, or regulatory facilitation in accordance with the respective domestic laws and regulations. 

a. Project Selection: The Participants intend to jointly identify projects of interest to address gaps in priority supply chains. Priority is to be given to projects that locate separation, refining, value-added processing capabilities and site restoration within the Republic of Armenia.

b. Financing: Within six months of the date of this Framework, the Participants intend to explore measures to facilitate, where possible, the provision of potentially significant financing to projects located in each country, expected to generate end products for delivery to buyers in the United States and the Republic of Armenia.

c. Investment Support: The Participants intend to work together to develop new or bespoke mechanisms to strengthen critical minerals and rare earths supply chains. This includes mechanisms to facilitate technology transfer to entities of the Republic of Armenia to modernize extraction and processing efficiency.

d. Prioritized Look: While each Participant may determine if a project is suitable for investment, Participants expect to have prioritized opportunity to invest, in accordance with domestic laws, in critical minerals assets that may be sold in the Republic of Armenia or by a company headquartered or incorporated in the Republic of Armenia.

Permitting:  The Participants intend to consider taking measures aimed at accelerating, streamlining, or modernizing permitting timelines and processes, including in relation to permits for critical minerals and rare earths mining, separation, and processing within their respective domestic regulatory systems, consistent with applicable law. 

Price Mechanisms:  The Participants intend to work to protect their respective domestic critical minerals and rare earths markets from non-market policies and unfair trade practices. This includes adopting policies to establish a pricing framework as appropriate that enable diversified, transparent, and resilient supply chains. The Participants also intend to collaborate with international partners to support responsible and resilient critical minerals markets, and address non-market policies in accordance with their obligations under international treaties and other legally binding multilateral documents. 

Asset Sales:  The Participants intend to hold consultations to develop new or strengthen national capacities and diplomatic tools to review, deter or approve critical minerals and rare earths asset sales on national security grounds. 

Scrap and Recycling:  The Participants intend to encourage investments in minerals recycling technology and work together to ensure the management of critical minerals and rare earths scrap to support supply chain diversification. 

Third-Party Cooperation:  The Participants intend to collaborate with third parties, as appropriate, to ensure supply chain security and utilize existing engagement mechanisms.

Geological Mapping and Institutional Partnership:  The Participants intend to cooperate to assist in mapping mineral resources in the Republic of Armenia, the United States, and other mutually determined locations to support diversified critical mineral supply chains.

a. Capacity Building: The Participants intend to establish a technical partnership between the United States Government and the relevant authority of the Republic of Armenia to support the creation and capacity building of a national Armenian Geological Survey. This cooperation is expected to focus on exchanging available data and scientific best practices, modernizing data collection standards, and training personnel in advanced geological assessment techniques.

b. Data: The Participants intend for all geological data generated regarding the territory of a Participant to be treated in accordance with applicable law. Any sharing of such data for the purposes of this Framework is to be governed by mutually agreed data sharing protocols that respect the national security and proprietary interests of the Participants.

Workforce Development: The Participants intend to establish exchange programs and training initiatives to upskill the Armenian workforce in modern mining engineering, metallurgy, and environmental management to support the objectives of this Framework

 

Section II

General Provisions

Post-Project Analysis:  The appropriate authorities of the Participants are expected to carry out post-project analysis and implementation. The specific content of the post-project analysis is to be developed between the Participants, in accordance with their respective domestic laws. 

Meetings:  The Participants intend to meet, virtually or in person, at the written request of the other Participant within 10 days of receiving the request. 

Points of Contact: The Participants intend to designate points of contact within their respective institutions to coordinate the implementation of this Framework. 

Discontinuation:  Either Participant may discontinue its participation in this Framework by providing written notification to the other Participant. Absent notice to the contrary, any such discontinuation would be effective on the thirtieth day after the date of receipt of the written notification. 

Non-Binding Nature:  This Framework sets out a policy and programmatic action plan that does not constitute or create rights or obligations under domestic or international law, does not give rise to any legal process, and does not constitute or create any legally binding or enforceable obligations, express or implied.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday in Yerevan that the Memorandum of Understanding on critical minerals signed with Armenia is going to further enhance mutual prosperity.

“We see every single day all over the world, every visit I ever have, whether it’s in Washington with a visiting delegation or in my travels, critical minerals, which is something no one talked about just 20 years ago, are now essential to all of the new technologies, all the innovations that are going to require for the 21st century, not just access to these minerals, but the ability to process and refine them to be usable goods, is critical to the future, for prosperity. And countries that are able to do that are going to be able to find economic independence and are going to be able to find themselves at the center of innovation in the 21st century. And those who lag behind are going to suffer for it. We are going to be able to work together to make sure that both of our countries, both of our economies are going to have reliable access to these critical minerals in a way that is not just financially beneficial to our countries, but also fuel that cycle of innovation that will be so critical to the 21st century,” he said. 

Armenia and the United States signed on Tuesday a memorandum titled “Framework for Securing Supply in the Mining and Processing of Critical Minerals and Rare Earths.”

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio has expressed support for Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his administration.

“Let me just say that both yourself and the Prime Minister and your entire team here in Armenia are blazing the trail toward a brighter and more independent future for Armenia,” Rubio told Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan after their meeting in Yerevan. 

“And we’re very happy to be here to show my support, my support for their courage, my support for their vision, my support for their dedication, my support for their willingness to see for the future of their country what it takes to get there. And we’re very happy and proud to be a part of it, and we can’t wait to do more together. So thank you,” he added.

The U.S. Secretary of State arrived in Armenia on May 26 to sign several cooperation agreements with Armenia — the Framework for Securing Supply in the Mining and Processing of Critical Minerals and Rare Earths, the Framework Agreement on Strategic Cooperation Concerning the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), and the Charter on Comprehensive and Strategic Partnership.

Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has published the text of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Charter between the Republic of Armenia and the United States of America.

The charter was signed in Yerevan on May 26 by Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The full text of the charter is presented below:

Preamble

The United States of America and the Republic of Armenia:

1. Reaffirm the importance of our relationship as friends and strategic partners and express our shared commitment to further deepen our partnership to the benefit of both nations and expand our cooperation across a broad spectrum of mutual priorities.
2. Emphasize that this cooperation between our two democratic nations is based on shared interests, such as advancing political and religious liberty, ensuring economic freedom, defending sovereignty and territorial integrity, strengthening the rule of law and respect for unalienable rights, supporting innovation and technological advances, and bolstering energy security.
3. Recognize the indispensable role of the Washington Peace Summit hosted by President Donald Trump on August 8, 2025, in establishing peace and a new era of prosperity in the South Caucasus region.
4. Acknowledge that the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) project and its Implementation Framework adopted on January 13, 2026, are essential for these goals.
5. Welcome the Memoranda of Understanding signed by Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and President of the United States of America Donald Trump, namely on the Crossroads of Peace Capacity Building Partnership, on the AI and Semiconductor Innovation Partnership, and on the Energy Security Partnership, and affirm that this Charter constitutes the overarching framework for their implementation.
6. Stress our mutual desire to further strengthen the relationship across the diplomatic, economic, energy, critical minerals and rare-earth mining, critical and emerging technologies, educational, scientific, legal, defense, and security fields.

Section I: Principles of Partnership

This Charter is based on core principles and beliefs shared by both sides:

1. Support for each other’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity constitutes the foundation of our bilateral relations.
2. Our friendship derives from our commitment to common values and our shared belief that democratic and transparent governance grants political legitimacy and, therefore, stability.
3. Cooperation between democratic partners helps promote peace and stability. 
4. A strong, independent, sovereign, technologically advanced, prosperous, regionally integrated, and democratic Armenia, capable of defending its sovereignty, its territorial integrity, and the inviolability of its internationally recognized borders, is essential for lasting regional security and prosperity.
5. Armenia’s continued democratic and economic reforms can unleash the full creative potential of its industrious citizens and thereby catalyze prosperity throughout the region and beyond.
6. The United States welcomes efforts by Armenia to deepen its political, economic, security, and social ties with other nations of the Euro-Atlantic community and broader community of free societies.
7. Following the historic August 8, 2025 Summit in Washington, the United States looks forward to the signing and ratification by both Armenia and Azerbaijan of the initialed Agreement on Establishment of Peace and Inter-State Relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as final delimitation of the interstate border based upon the Alma Ata Declaration of 1991; and the resolution of all humanitarian issues. A durable peace is essential to a more stable and prosperous future of the South Caucasus.
8. In alignment with the strategic connectivity goals of the TRIPP initiative, the sides view the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the Gyumri–Kars railway as a catalyzing step to realizing the vision of fully unlocking the economic potential of the region.
9. The United States is supportive of the construction of infrastructure for transportation, energy, and trusted information and communication technology in the South Caucasus, based on full respect for Armenia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and jurisdiction.
10. Recognizing that cross-border flows of goods and people foster interdependence and mutual benefit among neighboring states, the United States intends to continue to support regional economic cooperation.

Section II: Economic, Trade, Energy, Space and Mining Cooperation

The United States and Armenia intend to expand cooperation to enhance job creation and economic growth, support economic/market reform and liberalization, promote transport connectivity, and improve the bilateral business climate. We recognize that fair and reciprocal trade is essential to promoting resilient supply chains, economic development, and prosperity. The United States supports Armenia’s efforts to integrate into the global economy and diversify its economic partnerships.

1. Recalling the previously mentioned TRIPP Implementation Framework and Memorandum of Understanding, Armenia and the United States intend to achieve goals of mutual interest in trade and investment as outlined in these documents. 
2. The United States and Armenia intend to identify areas in which Armenia can improve its legal and regulatory rules in order to work toward improving Armenia’s commercial environment.
3. Recognizing the importance of a well-functioning, resilient, and secure market-oriented energy sector, the United States and Armenia intend to explore opportunities to increase and diversify Armenia’s energy production and supplies. This includes further development of a civil nuclear program with the highest standards for nuclear safety, security, and nonproliferation, which may include, following internal review and approval procedures, signature and entry into force of a civil nuclear cooperation agreement, potential small modular reactor deployment and access to U.S. fuel and technologies; efforts to enhance energy security and efficiency, including through granting Armenia access to U.S. nuclear technologies, measures to increase Armenia’s energy connectivity to regional and European markets, and access to other U.S. civil nuclear services and infrastructure.
4. Armenia and the United States intend to strengthen energy resilience and independence of critical infrastructure and promote investments in Armenia’s energy sector. Priority areas include modernizing electricity transmission and distribution grids, developing energy storage stations, and enhancing cybersecurity and workforce capacity building. Both countries intend to also work to increase the resilience of Armenia’s broader critical infrastructure, particularly sectors underpinning the AI revolution such as telecommunications and finance.
5. Armenia and the United States intend to cooperate on accelerating the development, exploration, extraction, processing, and trade of critical minerals, consistent with best practices, to secure fair, resilient, and diversified supply chains. To this end, Armenia and the United States intend to promote cooperation between appropriate U.S. institutions, and corresponding and future Armenian institutions.
6. The United States and Armenia intend to respond to their semiconductor supply chain and artificial intelligence development priorities, including enhancing bilateral discussions on best practices for export controls.
7. Recognizing the importance of trade diversification to support food security and promote economic growth, the United States and Armenia should jointly explore areas to increase exports of agricultural goods and expand agricultural productivity, including through the use of new and innovative U.S. agricultural technologies.
8. Recognizing that reliable supply chains are indispensable to our mutual economic security, the United States and Armenia intend to deepen collaboration on development of secure semiconductor supply chains, encourage private sector investment, facilitate joint academic and research partnerships on semiconductors and supply chain resiliency, strengthen effective export controls for artificial intelligence (AI) application and model development, strengthen cooperation to prevent diversion of AI resources, and prepare the workforce to effectively use and integrate AI applications.
9. Armenia and the United States intend to promote cooperation and pro-innovation regulatory frameworks in the digital economy, including through trusted cross-border data flows which facilitate e-commerce, digital financial services, technology entrepreneurship, while working to improve Armenia’s access to digital payment platforms and promoting bilateral trade in financial services, recognizing the potential of Armenia’s growing technology sector to drive innovation and economic growth in both countries.
10. Recognizing the importance of developing the space sector as a pillar of national security, technological innovation, and economic growth, the United States and Armenia intend to explore opportunities to expand their collaboration beyond the Artemis Accords to include more strategic and tangible initiatives. In civil space, these could include discussions on potential CubeSat opportunities for future Artemis missions or Armenia’s possible contributions to NASA’s Moon Base. In commercial space, these could include joint commercial projects in areas such as Earth Observation and satellite communications.
11. In alignment with the strategic connectivity objectives of the TRIPP initiative, the sides intend to explore deeper cooperation on trusted, reliable, and secure space-based Internet connectivity. 

Section III: Defense and Security

The United States supports an independent, sovereign, and democratic Armenia. A peaceful South Caucasus is foundational to Armenia’s continued economic growth and democratic development, and that of the region. Defense and security cooperation between the United States and Armenia benefits both nations and the region.

1. Recognizing persistence of threats to global peace and stability, the United States and Armenia intend to enhance their defense and security cooperation aimed at, but not limited to, the sale of U.S.-made defense articles and auxiliary equipment to Armenia through Foreign Military Sales (FMS), and potential investments in the Armenian military through participation in professional military education and training courses, including, but not limited to the International Military Education and Training (IMET) program. For this purpose, the United States and Armenia intend to hold regular bilateral defense consultations.
2. The United States recognizes Armenia’s important contributions to global security, including its deployments in support of operations in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo, Lebanon, and Mali.
3. Armenia and the United States intend to explore opportunities to expand security cooperation to increase Armenian interoperability and to strengthen Armenia’s defense capabilities.
4. The United States also encourages Armenia’s efforts to develop domestic defense industrial capabilities and cooperation between the U.S. and Armenian defense industries.
5. Acknowledging the threat posed by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the United States and Armenia aim to pursue initiatives to combat the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and dangerous technologies through adherence to international nonproliferation standards, effective enforcement of export controls, and strengthened enforcement of such controls. To this end, the United States intends to work with the Armenian Border Guard Troops, State Revenue Committee and other relevant authorities.
6. Acknowledging the importance of strong borders and mutual interest in contributing to the success of Armenia’s “Crossroads of Peace” project and the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, the United States and Armenia plan to enhance cooperation toward strengthening and enhancing effective and independent security agencies of Armenia, with the aim of those agencies taking full responsibility for Armenia’s borders.
7. Recognizing the persistent and shared threats to government, democratic institutions, business, critical infrastructure, and the public from malicious cyber actors, as well as hybrid threats, the United States and Armenia intend to work towards an innovative, secure, and resilient digital environment. The United States and Armenia plan to continue to hold regular consultations on existing and emerging cyber threats to improve Armenia’s overall cyber resilience and security, including through proactive technical assistance, which may also include technology transfer to prevent and respond to such challenges. The United States and Armenia also intend to cooperate towards curtailing illicit financial flows.
8. The United States intends to continue partnering with Armenia to combat transnational organized crime and corruption, including through training, technical assistance, and equipment.
9. The United States and Armenia plan to cooperate to address common transnational threats such as terrorism, organized crime, money laundering, cybercrime, drug trafficking, and trafficking in persons, including through training, technical assistance and equipment provision.
10. The United States and Armenia intend to devise secure and practical mechanisms for sharing sensitive information.

Section IV:  Strengthening Freedom, Countering Foreign Malign Propaganda, and Combatting Human Trafficking

Recognizing Armenia’s significant achievements to date, the United States and Armenia intend to collaborate on promoting freedom and access to objective news and information, including to counter foreign malign propaganda. 

The United States supports Armenia’s implementation of a plan to prevent and combat all forms of human trafficking in Armenia, and other negative impacts of migration.

 

Section V: Increasing People-to-People, Cultural, and Scientific Exchanges, Preservation of Cultural Heritage

The United States and Armenia share a desire to increase our people-to-people contacts and enhance our scientific, educational, and professional exchange programs to promote economic prosperity and innovation.

1. Recognizing the importance of increased contact between the peoples of the United States and Armenia, both sides intend to promote further educational and professional exchanges and activities through initiatives such as the Fulbright Programs, BridgeUSA, International Visitor Leadership Program, American English language teaching and learning programs, sports diplomacy, and exchange programs, as well as facilitating academic exchanges and the mutual recognition of academic qualifications, where appropriate. The parties also intend to explore opportunities for enhanced cooperation in technical and vocational education to develop skilled workforces in priority sectors.
2. Armenia and the United States intend to facilitate joint academic and research partnerships (also through the potential establishment of an Armenia-USA binational science foundation) on semiconductors, and supply chain resiliency to support innovation, workforce development, knowledge and technology transfer.
3. Stressing the necessity of innovation and dynamism to the future of our two countries, the United States and Armenia intend to promote increased cooperation in higher education, business, and scientific research.
4. Armenia and the United States acknowledge the potential of Armenia’s Academic City as a hub for academic collaboration and innovation, furthering shared goals in education and research.
5. The United States and Armenia intend to support joint initiatives for the preservation of Armenian cultural and religious heritage.

Section VI: Implementation of the Strategic Partnership Commission

For the purposes of implementation of this charter, the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Commission is hereby established.

Armenia has a historic opportunity to become one of the key hubs for new supply and logistics routes, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said during a briefing with journalists, responding to a question about cooperation between Armenia and the United States in the extraction and processing of critical minerals and rare earth elements.

He said the sector represents a new direction in Armenian-American relations.

“With regard to the extraction and processing of critical minerals and rare earth elements, you are right, this is an entirely new area in which the United States and Armenia are beginning cooperation,” Mirzoyan said.

According to him, cooperation in various fields has begun developing rapidly following the signing of memorandums of cooperation in Washington on August 8 last year.

The foreign minister referred to agreements reached in the fields of infrastructure, the TRIPP programme, energy, artificial intelligence and semiconductors, also highlighting processes involving NVIDIA, which he said are of major importance for Firebird.

Mirzoyan also noted that negotiations on the text of the “123” agreement have been completed, paving the way for cooperation in the field of nuclear energy.

According to him, rare metals are now emerging as another new area of cooperation.

“These rare metals are critically important for very specific products, for example for the production of chips and semiconductors. We are now trying to complete an entire chain,” he said.

Mirzoyan said global competition is currently forming around critical metals, semiconductors, artificial intelligence and new supply chains.

“At this moment, the Republic of Armenia truly has a historic opportunity to appear on these new supply routes and become one of the most important logistical hubs along those routes,” the minister stated.

Earlier, Armenia and the United States signed a framework memorandum on securing supply chains in the extraction and processing of critical minerals and rare earth elements.

The memorandum was signed during a visit to Yerevan by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan has reaffirmed that theArmenian authorities have no intention of creating tensions inrelations with Russia.

Mirzoyan addressed the current state of Armenia-Russia relationsduring a press conference on May 26.

“We have absolutely no desire to create tensions in Armenia-Russiarelations, in political dialogue, or in economic ties – neitherbilaterally nor within multilateral platforms of cooperation such asthe EAEU, the CIS and elsewhere. All issues that have arisen or mayarise – and problems emerge from time to time in any relationship – wehope and are committed to discussing in a healthy, constructive andpartnership-based atmosphere in order to find solutions,” Mirzoyansaid.

According to the foreign minister, there is a tendency to linkexport-related issues involving certain Armenian goods shipped toRussia with bilateral relations or with Armenia’s pro-European andpro-Western policies or choices, although such problems have alwaysexisted.

Mirzoyan said that anyone making the effort could also find examplesof difficulties involving exports of fruit, vegetables or alcoholicbeverages from Armenia to Russia dating back five to 25 years.

At the same time, the foreign minister stressed that Armenia hasrepeatedly and publicly stated the need for economic diversification.

“Diversification is necessary for us, and we must continue takingsteps to find new markets, consumer markets and sources of supply,”Mirzoyan concluded.

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan has described claims about the possible resettlement of 300,000 Azerbaijanis in Armenia as “a product of a sick imagination”.

Speaking to journalists on May 26, Mirzoyan responded to claims circulated by opposition political forces alleging that “300,000 Azerbaijanis would be resettled in Armenia if the current authorities are re-elected in the upcoming parliamentary elections”.

“Once again, I say that the thesis about settling 300,000 Azerbaijanis in Armenia is a product of a sick imagination, it is nonsense. Moreover, repeating it again after our denials points to one of two things: either the person repeating it does not understand – at the level of basic comprehension – what is being said, or secondly, it is outright dishonesty, because they are deliberately repeating something that does not exist in an attempt to manipulate issues sensitive to people and, of course unsuccessfully, press on painful points in society,” Mirzoyan said.

“I do not know, from the perspective of the interests of the person constantly repeating this absurdity, which is the better explanation – that they repeat it because they do not understand, or because they have malicious intentions. Dear compatriots, the thesis about settling 300,000 Azerbaijanis in Armenia is a product of a sick imagination, nonsense and dishonesty,” he added.

Responding to a journalist’s question about how many Azerbaijanis were in fact being discussed for resettlement, Mirzoyan replied: “None.”

Claims that 300,000 Azerbaijanis would allegedly be resettled in Armenia if the current authorities are re-elected have been actively promoted by representatives of the opposition “Strong Armenia” and “Hayastan” alliances.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has repeatedly denied the claims, stressing that such an issue has never been discussed and is not being discussed in negotiations between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Despite the denials, opposition representatives have continued actively circulating the claims, including through the production and distribution of videos generated using artificial intelligence.