Armenia’s parliament on October 28 ratified a framework agreement with the United States to develop the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), a transit project intended to reopen regional connections and strengthen the South Caucasus country’s role in east-west trade.
The agreement, discussed by lawmakers on October 27, provides for the creation of a joint development company in which the United States will hold a 74% stake and Armenia 26% for an initial 49 years. If the partnership is extended for another 50 years, Armenia’s share will rise to 49% without additional investment, while the U.S. stake will fall to 51%, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan told parliament.
Mirzoyan said the infrastructure would operate entirely under Armenian sovereignty, territorial integrity and jurisdiction, addressing concerns that the arrangement could compromise the country’s control over its territory.
The project would enable Armenia to connect with markets through Azerbaijan and its infrastructure, while allowing Azerbaijan to reach its Nakhichevan exclave through Armenian territory. It could also facilitate transit between third countries to the east and west.
The initiative forms part of Armenia’s broader “Crossroads of Peace” plan to restore regional transport links after decades of conflict and closed borders.
“Our goal is to turn Armenia from a wedge into a bridge,” ruling Civil Contract party lawmaker Arman Yeghoyan said during the debate.
Foreign Relations Committee chairman Sargis Khandanyan described the agreement as a historic opportunity, saying: “This is a historic project, taking into account the fact that for the first time since Armenia’s independence, the connection between Armenia and the world is opening, and Armenia is becoming a transit country.”
Opposition lawmakers challenged the agreement’s economic and security implications, with some arguing that implementation should wait until Armenia and Azerbaijan sign a peace treaty. The Armenia faction said it would vote against ratification, while representatives of Strong Armenia also opposed proceeding before a peace deal.
Parliament Speaker Ruben Rubinyan argued that the transit project need not depend on the signing and ratification of a peace treaty. He also stressed that TRIPP was an infrastructure business project, not a separate territory or extraterritorial zone.
The agreement comes amid efforts to normalise relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan following their decades-long conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh. Reopening transport routes could reshape regional trade and connectivity, while raising questions over border controls, security and the balance of influence between regional powers.
Armenian officials say the project offers economic and strategic benefits, while critics remain concerned about its implementation before a comprehensive peace settlement.
https://www.intellinews.com/armenia-parliament-ratifies-us-backed-tripp-transit-agreement-479799/?source=armenia
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