US Vice President JD Vance and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a civil nuclear cooperation agreement on February 10, 2026 during VP Vance's two-day visit to Armenia — with the US pledging up to $9 billion in potential investment in Armenian nuclear energy. The Armenian government established a company in 2025 to evaluate options for new reactor construction, looking at technology vendors' proposals on design and cost with a goal of having a development plan by mid-2026. Armenia currently operates the Metsamor-2 VVER-440 reactor (416 MWe, extended to 2036 following 2021 maintenance). Armenia seeks to reduce reliance on Russian energy — in January 2024, Armenia's Security Council Secretary stated that discussions with the US on SMRs had entered a "substantive phase." The US State Department confirmed receipt of Armenia's application to expedite the nuclear cooperation process.