U.S. approves export licenses for high‑powered NVIDIA chips; Armenia and U.S. point to Firebird AI investment and TRIP project

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and U.S. Vice President JD Vance said during a joint press appearance that the United States had issued export licenses for a batch of high‑powered NVIDIA chips destined for Armenia, and that a memorandum signed on August 8 will facilitate semiconductor and artificial intelligence projects in the country.

Pashinyan said the memorandum "in the field of semiconductors and artificial intelligence will bring to life the mega projects of the company Firebird, building an artificial intelligence plant and data center in Armenia." Vance described U.S. export licenses for "high powered NVIDIA chips" as enabling data centers and AI development in Armenia and said such developments mean "new markets for American workers and for American businesses."

Both officials framed these commercial and technology steps as elements of a broader set of initiatives — including the TRIP (Trump Route for International Peace) project — intended to attract private capital and regional infrastructure investment. Vance said the TRIP Enterprise Fund is intended to draw private capital into projects such as rail and pipelines to improve regional trade and transit.

The officials did not provide the number of chips licensed, the specific export license classifications, or the text of the semiconductor memorandum during the session. They also did not provide a timeline for Firebird’s plant or a list of investors. Vance said investors are interested and that "money is not the issue," but he did not provide firm investment commitments or a project schedule.