US customs, border protection team visits Armenia to advance Trump route project

A team from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has arrived in Armenia to collaborate with the Armenian Border Guard (ABG) on strengthening border security as part of the Trump Route project. 

From September 29 to October 11, the CBP team is conducting a Capability Gap Analysis Process (CGAP) to assess current border security capabilities and identify areas for improvement, Caliber.Az reports via Armenian media.

“We’re proud to support this first step in implementing our Crossroads of Peace Capacity Building Partnership, signed August 8 at the White House by [US] President Donald J. Trump  and [Armenian] Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan,” the embassy wrote on Facebook.

During the August 8 summit, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister Pashinyan signed a joint declaration outlining a seven-point framework that emphasises mutual respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the renunciation of force.

A central feature of this framework is the "Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity" (TRIPP), widely known as the Zangezur Corridor. This strategically important transit route through southern Armenia is intended to connect Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave, fostering economic growth and regional cooperation.

In addition, the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan initialled a draft Agreement on the Establishment of Peace and Inter-State Relations in the presence of Trump, Aliyev, and Pashinyan, marking a milestone toward lasting peace and integration in the South Caucasus region.

By Sabina Mammadli