Pelosi told reporters in Berlin that she will fly to Yerevan with two other members of Congress, who both are of Armenian descent, “because we've had an ongoing invitation from the Armenians." She said at the same time that the surprise trip is the result of a "rather spontaneous" decision.
Pelosi declined to give further details about the trip, saying that traveling U.S. lawmakers "don't like to be a target."
"In any case, it is all about human rights and respecting the dignity and worth of every person," she said, speaking at a Group of Seven (G7) countries meeting in the German capital.
Politico was the first to report on Pelosi’s plans to travel to Armenia on Thursday, calling it a “show of support for the country.” She will meet with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian and other Armenian officials, said the U.S. news website.
The secretary of Armenia’s Security Council, Armen Grigorian, declined to comment on the planned trip when he spoke to RFE/RL’s Armenian Service earlier on Friday.
“I think that this is a very important trip because [Pelosi] will be the most high-ranking American official to have ever visited Armenia,” said Suren Sargsian, an Armenian political analyst.
Armenia, he said, will reeeive “strong diplomatic support” from Washington in the wake of the large-scale fighting with Azerbaijan which left more than 200 soldiers from both sides dead.
“Especially amid the aggression against Armenia, we can show the world that the political leadership of the United States is sending a message not only to Armenia but also to the Azerbaijani government,” added Sargsian.
Pelosi’s California constituency is home to a large number of Armenian Americans. The veteran lawmaker has long backed causes championed by the Armenian community in the U.S.
In 2019, Pelosi presided over the passage by the House of Representatives of a resolution recognizing the 1915 Armenian genocide in Ottoman Turkey. “It’s a great day for the Congress,” she declared at the time.