Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan have indicated in recent days that the bilateral agreement between the US and Armenia on building TRIPP, or the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, is moving forward. But both leaders now indicate that Armenia wants to attract other investors to be involved in the corridor’s construction and operations. 

The project, the centerpiece of the provisional Armenian-Azerbaijani peace deal signed last August in Washington, would connect Azerbaijan and its Nakhchivan exclave via a 42-kilometer land bridge across Armenia’s Syunik province. It is envisioned as a key node in the emerging Middle Corridor trade network connecting Central Asia to European markets.

Mirzoyan suggested some Middle Eastern states, which he did not name, have expressed interest in TRIPP.

Pashinyan, meanwhile, seems keen to get Kazakhstan involved. On April 9, he met with Kazakh Foreign Minister Yermek Kosherbayev, with the discussions exploring potential cooperation on infrastructure development, connectivity and tourism. The two countries also have pledged to engage in intelligence cooperation.

“Naturally, we should invite Kazakhstan to be prepared to consider using transit routes through Armenia as part of their export, import, and transport service chains,” the official Kazakh news agency, Kazinform, quoted Pashinyan as saying prior to the meeting.

US officials have sought to reassure Yerevan that the ongoing turmoil in the Persian Gulf, despite an ostensible ceasefire between the United States and Iran, will not distract Washington from implementing TRIPP.

TRIPP “remains a top priority for the United States, with the potential to unleash peace and prosperity in the South Caucasus region and beyond. The Trump Administration remains committed to making TRIPP a reality,’’ the Armenpress state news agency quoted a US State Department representative as saying.

https://eurasianet.org/armenia-looking-for-additional-partners-for-tripp-implementation