VP Travel Report #5 - Azerbaijan - Strategic partnership agreement

At 7:08pm local, Vice President Vance and President Aliyev signed a strategic partnership agreement.

Vance said he believed the agreement “will formalize that partnership and make it very clear that the United States-Azerbaijan relationship is one that will stick.”

The Vice President also said the US is going to “ship some new boats to Azerbaijan to help you all with some of your territorial waters protection.”

He said Air Force Two flew along the site of the new Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), which plans to connect Azerbaijan with its Naxcivan exclave through the territory of Armenia.

Vance noted the Vice President of Azerbaijan is also the President of Azerbaijan’s wife and said “hopefully that doesn’t give the Second Lady any ideas.”

The President of Azerbaijan said the two sides had a “very good conversation” and that relations between the new country were entering a new phase. He said the agreement today was the product of six months of hard work by the teams on both sides. He thanked President Trump and his administration for “their contribution to peace in the caucuses.”

“We are learning to live in peace,” Aliyev said.

The two leaders did not take any questions.

We are not expecting additional pool coverage tonight. The Vice President and President and their spouses will have dinner this evening, according to a Vance spokesperson. I will send a lid as soon as I get one.

Kate Sullivan

White House Correspondent

Bloomberg News

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