Armenian PM: Every step in TRIPP project's implementation brings new issues

Even as the ambitious TRIPP (Trump Route) project advances, new issues continue to emerge with every step, Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said, highlighting the inherent complexities of large-scale infrastructure initiatives.

Speaking to the media, Pashinyan explained that unlike smaller, simpler projects, TRIPP—encompassing railways, gas and oil pipelines, and power lines—naturally generates ongoing challenges, Caliber.Az reports via Armenian media.

“When you solve one issue that has been pending, four new issues appear that also need to be addressed,” he said.

The prime minister emphasised that while the project is massive, all currently relevant questions have been clarified, and progress is being made systematically. “If you face a road that is five meters long, you can immediately see the entire path ahead. But if the road is long, you need to reach a turn to see what lies beyond the hill,” he explained.

Earlier today, December 25, Armenia’s Foreign Ministry announced that the practical phase of implementing the “Trump Route” (TRIPP) project, including the start of construction works, is scheduled for 2026.

For the record, TRIPP, also referred to as Zangezur Corridor, is a strategic regional infrastructure initiative that connects mainland Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave through Armenia’s Syunik (Zangezur–ed.) region.

The project was formalised with a declaration signed on August 8, 2025, in Washington by the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia, alongside US President Donald Trump. TRIPP aims to serve as both a peace-building mechanism and a key logistics corridor.

The Corridor encompasses new railways and roads, oil and gas pipelines, fibre-optic networks, and electricity transmission lines. Its overarching goal is to integrate South Caucasus nations into the “Middle Corridor” trade route linking Europe and Asia, boosting regional transit, trade, and economic diversification.

By Khagan Isayev