Armenian PM says Trump Route implementation could begin next year

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has announced that the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP) project may enter its implementation phase as early as 2026, positioning it as a potential new pillar of the Middle Corridor. 

Speaking during a panel discussion at the German Council on Foreign Relations, the Prime Minister highlighted growing regional cooperation and recent developments in Armenia–Azerbaijan and Armenia–Türkiye relations, Caliber.Az reports, citing the Armenian government’s.

TRIPP project positioned as part of the Middle Corridor

Pashinyan stated that the TRIPP initiative — which includes transport links between Armenia and Türkiye — could become “an important component of the Middle Corridor,” enabling unimpeded connectivity between Europe, the South Caucasus, and Central Asia.

“We will move to the actual implementation and construction phase as early as next year,” he said, noting that the project aligns with Yerevan’s “Crossroads of Peace” concept and aims to create new regional interconnections.

He recalled that the Armenian and Azerbaijani foreign ministers initialled the Agreement on Establishment of Peace and Inter-State Relations in Washington on August 8, in the presence of U.S. President Donald Trump, President Ilham Aliyev, and himself.

Washington Declaration and transport commitments

According to Pashinyan, one of the key outcomes of the Washington discussions was the agreement to open communications between Armenia and Azerbaijan for intra-state, bilateral, and international transportation, based on respect for sovereignty and jurisdiction.

This includes unimpeded connectivity between mainland Azerbaijan and its Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic via Armenian territory, with reciprocal benefits for Armenia’s international and intra-state transit.

He added that Yerevan is already discussing preliminary conditions of the TRIPP project with the United States, which envisages the registration of a joint Armenian–American company empowered to build railway, motorway, pipeline, and fibre-optic infrastructure.

Armenia ready for transit between Türkiye and Azerbaijan

Pashinyan underlined that practical mechanisms of regional interaction are already emerging, noting that Azerbaijan recently lifted restrictions on the transit of goods to Armenia through its territory.

“In October, Azerbaijan announced that it is lifting restrictions on the transit of goods… Grain has been transported from Kazakhstan to Armenia through Azerbaijan and Georgia by railway — an unprecedented event since our independence,” he said.

Armenia, he added, is “politically and technically ready” to allow the transit of goods between Türkiye and Azerbaijan through its own territory.

He expressed confidence that, with adherence to the Washington Declaration and a rejection of destabilising narratives, Armenia and Azerbaijan “will be able to institutionalise lasting peace.”

Armenia–Türkiye contacts intensify

The Prime Minister noted a marked intensification of contacts with Türkiye since his previous visit to the German Council on Foreign Relations in March 2023.

“These contacts are taking place at nearly all levels… We maintain very active talks and relations with official Ankara, even in the absence of de jure diplomatic relations,” he said.

Pashinyan voiced hope that Ankara would take the “long-awaited political decision” to open the border and establish diplomatic relations.

He argued that normalising Armenian–Turkish relations, achieving peace with Azerbaijan, and implementing the TRIPP initiative — alongside good-neighbourly ties with Georgia, Iran, and continued dialogue with Russia — could transform the South Caucasus into one of the most attractive segments of international East–West and North–South transit corridors.

Peace with Azerbaijan “brings benefits to the South Caucasus and the EU”

During his meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Pashinyan described his visit to Berlin as “historic,” noting that relations between Armenia and Germany are entering a phase of strategic partnership.

He emphasised that Germany remains one of Armenia’s key EU partners and that peace with Azerbaijan brings advantages not only to both countries but also to the wider South Caucasus and the European Union.

“I hope and am convinced that we will reach the opening of the Armenian–Turkish border, which would mean a direct connection with the EU, including Germany,” he said.

By Vugar Khalilov