VP Travel Report #3 - Azerbaijan - Wheels down

Good afternoon from Azerbaijan.

Air Force Two was wheels up from Armenia at 3:54pm local and wheels down in Azerbaijan at 5:08pm local. We are just outside of Baku.

Your pooler asked the Vice President’s office about a now-deleted post on X from the @VP account that said the Vice President and Second Lady laid a wreath this morning “at the Armenian Genocide memorial to honor the victims of the 1915 Armenian genocide." A VP official says the tweet was posted in error by staff who are not part of the delegation.

A VP spokesperson also provided a statement: “This is an account managed by staff that primarily exists to share photos and videos of the Vice President’s activities. For the Vice President’s views on the substance of the question, I refer you to the comments he made earlier on the tarmac in response to the pool’s question.”

The Vice President and Second Lady stepped off AF2 at 5:26pm local at the Heydar Aliyev International Airport and were greeted with an arrival ceremony. The Vice President held his daughter Mirabel’s hands as they descended the stairs. The Second Lady was handed a bouquet of flowers after stepping on a green carpet that was laid out for the second family. Mirabel was handed a smaller bouquet of flowers.

A spokesperson for the Vice President provided a list of those greeting the second family at the airport:

Samir Sharifov, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Elnur Mammadov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs

Khazar Ibraham, Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the United States

Amy Carlon, Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in the Republic of Azerbaijan

The Vice President’s motorcade started rolling to the Zuğulba Presidential Palace at 5:31p local. The Vice President is expected to meet with the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, and then hold an expanded bilateral meeting. We are expecting remarks to press but do not currently have timing guidance.

Kate Sullivan

White House Correspondent

Bloomberg News

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