Armenian PM says TRIPP project also serves Iran's interests

The TRIPP project carries no hidden agenda and serves the interests of regional countries, including Iran, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has stated.

He said Armenia and the wider region must be unblocked through the development of transport and energy links, Caliber.Az reports, citing Armenian media.

"Armenia must be unblocked, and the region must be unblocked. That means trains and vehicles should move, and there should be transit of electricity and, possibly, gas pipelines, oil pipelines, other pipelines and cables. What is there to worry about? We are transparent; we can answer any question and are ready to do so, and we have conveyed this message," he noted.

According to him, concerns about the project should be clearly articulated and expressed confidence that they would eventually be dispelled.

"We are convinced that all concerns will be dispelled. We will continue to work with all our partners — Iran, Russia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkey, the EU, the countries of Central Asia and China — because this is a global project, and it is clear that its value and significance will increase over time. We want to begin implementing it even a minute earlier. As far as I understand, the American side wants this as well," he added.

The Armenian PM further stated that the next step was to ensure that all necessary procedures were completed so that the first work on the ground could begin this autumn.

“By the way, it is very important to note that, within the framework of the TRIPP project — not directly, but as a result of the implementation of this process — we will open a railway route from the Persian Gulf to the Black Sea, significantly expanding trade and economic opportunities between Armenia and Iran. The trade and economic potential of the Islamic Republic of Iran will also increase substantially. Taking these factors into account, the implementation of the TRIPP project genuinely and directly serves the interests of the Islamic Republic as well,” he stressed.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov