Armenia eyes TRIPP project to boost trade and connectivity with Kazakhstan

Following the Washington Declaration, Armenia is focusing on the implementation of the “Trump Route” (TRIPP) project and is actively negotiating with the United States to establish its legal framework and regulatory mechanisms, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said during a press conference following his meeting with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

“As you know, following the Washington Declaration, the main and fundamental issues were defined and agreed upon, and Armenia and Azerbaijan are opening communications for each other—for domestic purposes, that is, from Azerbaijan to Azerbaijan through Armenian territory, and from Armenia to Armenia through Azerbaijani territory, as well as for bilateral and international transit. In accordance with the Washington Declaration, all of this will be implemented on the basis of territorial integrity, sovereignty, jurisdiction, and mutuality of the countries,” Pashinyan explained.

He highlighted that the project’s implementation will substantially expand the scope of bilateral economic cooperation between Armenia and Kazakhstan. “It will also increase the export potential of both countries—eastward for Armenia and westward for Kazakhstan,” he said.

Pashinyan further emphasised the high-level interest of Kazakhstan in the project, which will encompass multiple infrastructure components. “We are very pleased that Kazakhstan is showing interest at the highest level in this project, which will, of course, include railway communications, pipelines, power lines, cables, as well as infrastructure for road transport, which Armenia and Azerbaijan have expressed readiness to provide to each other,” he added.

Pashinyan’s comments come in the wake of the trilateral summit held on August 8, 2025, at the White House, hosted by US President Donald Trump, which marked a major diplomatic breakthrough in Armenia-Azerbaijan relations. During the meeting, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, Pashinyan, and President Trump initialled a preliminary peace declaration under the framework of the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP) initiative.

The Washington summit — the first of its kind since the collapse of the Soviet Union — resulted in a joint declaration emphasising the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the rejection of force. It also paved the way for a draft peace agreement titled “Agreement on Establishment of Peace and Inter-State Relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia”, which was initialled by the foreign ministers of both countries.

A central outcome of the summit was the decision to create the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP), often referred to as the Zangezur Corridor. This transit corridor aims to connect mainland Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave through Armenia, opening new pathways for regional connectivity, intra-state trade, and international transport.

By Tamilla Hasanova