Armenia’s parliamentary speaker calls Russia’s possible role in TRIPP ‘absurd’

By Elen Muradyan

Armenia’s parliament speaker has described the idea of Russia taking part in the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) as “absurd”, responding to comments by Moscow suggesting it could join the initiative.

In an interview with Armenian publication Factor on Monday, Alen Simonyan responded to earlier remarks by Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson for the Russian foreign ministry, who said Russia was open to participating in regional transport initiatives, including TRIPP.

“Most importantly, TRIPP is an Armenian–American project,” Simonyan said. “If we are talking about opening a similar route, that should be a separate initiative. But in the context of TRIPP, I consider this absurd, because this would mean doing everything possible to ensure TRIPP does not function.”

Asked what lies behind Russia’s interest in the project, Simonyan said it reflects a behavior typical for a major power. 

“There is nothing unusual about Russia’s interest. It is normal for major powers to seek influence in neighboring countries. Since military influence is no longer possible, it is natural that they try to exert economic influence,” he said.

Simonyan’s comments came amid a broader recalibration of Armenian-Russian relations. In recent years, Russian border guards withdrew from Armenia’s border with Azerbaijan, the only checkpoint connecting the country with Iran in the south, and Yerevan’s Zvartnots airport.

During the same interview, however, Simonyan downplayed the disagreements between Yerevan and Moscow.

“I believe the speculation about tensions with Russia is mostly an exaggeration,” he said.

TRIPP was signed last August following a trilateral meeting involving Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and U.S. President Donald Trump. The initiative is presented by Yerevan and Washington as a U.S.-backed solution aimed at opening regional transport routes in the South Caucasus.