Russia will not participate in the TRIPP initiative, which is designed to connect Azerbaijan with the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic through Armenia.
The launch of the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP) underscores shifting power dynamics in the South Caucasus, where Moscow is losing influence. The logistics-focused project is moving ahead without Russia.
At a news conference in Washington, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said Russia’s participation in the new transport corridor was not discussed and that the project’s parameters are already set.
Mirzoyan’s remarks came after he and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio signed a joint statement to implement TRIPP. The sides also agreed to create the TRIPP Development Company, which will hold development rights to the route for 49 years.
Under the deal, the United States will own 74% of the company and Armenia 26%, with Yerevan’s stake potentially increasing to 49% over time, according to a statement published by Armenia’s Foreign Ministry.
The joint statement says the project is expected to bring Armenia investment and economic development, while providing the United States with new transport routes and access to additional markets.
Armenia will retain full sovereign control over its territory, laws and borders. Yerevan commits to actively facilitate the project by coordinating state bodies, issuing necessary permits, maintaining constant contact with the U.S. side and expanding cooperation with neighboring countries.
The top U.S. diplomat said TRIPP will open Armenia to business and help it prosper economically.
The TRIPP concept was agreed by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in August last year, when a Washington-brokered declaration to cease hostilities laid the groundwork for the infrastructure push.
The route is set to link mainland Azerbaijan with the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic via Armenia’s Syunik region.
Plans call for building highways and rail lines, as well as oil and gas infrastructure, along a stretch of roughly 42 kilometers.
The project is viewed as a key element of regional economic integration and long-term stabilization in the South Caucasus.
