Aliyev outlines goals for Trump Route, Nakhichevan development

By Nicholas Castillo 

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has raised the prospect of greater Yerevan-Baku cooperation on regional infrastructure and energy as part of the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) project.  

Aliyev made the comments during an interview on Tuesday with Azerbaijani state media, during which he said that Azerbaijani infrastructure would reach Armenia’s southern border sometime next year. Such a development is a necessary precondition for TRIPP, a proposal to link mainland Azerbaijan to its Nakhichevan exclave through Armenia’s southern Syunik region. 

Aliyev further outlined that he hopes to raise the total commercial transit capacity of the “Zangezur Corridor”, a controversial Azerbaijani term for TRIPP, from 1.5 million tons to 15 million tons. According to him, a build-out meeting that capacity would require a total of 194 kilometers of rail lines. 

Reaching this goal would involve substantial expansion of pre-existing rail lines in southern Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan. Aliyev stated he was open to having an international partner, such as the European Union, finance the project. 

“An international consortium could, in principle, be established for this purpose,” Aliyev said, “Naturally, provided that the Azerbaijani state holds the controlling stake, the international consortium could bring together investors, and we are open to this.”

The European Union and Azerbaijan agreed to launch a feasibility study in January 2026 on the potential expansion of rail lines in Nakhichevan. 

Aliyev also gave several details on his plans for the general development of Nakhichevan, efforts he hopes would see the enclave become a hub for commercial transit, solar energy generation, and more.

Energy market integration

Aliyev alluded to potential energy integration in the South Caucasus, suggesting Azerbaijan would build energy transition lines along TRIPP which could be connected to the Armenian grid. 

“Fiber-optic cables, power lines, and in the future, if needed, oil and gas pipelines can also pass through here,” he stated.

According to Aliyev, experts have already selected places along TRIPP where the Armenian and Azerbaijani energy networks could be connected.

“I hope the Armenian side will not delay this matter either,” Aliyev remarked, “Because, first of all, they themselves may need it. Their primary source of energy today is a nuclear power plant, which is not under their control.”

This is a reference to the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant, a Soviet-era facility outside Yerevan that provides approximately 30% of Armenia’s energy. The plant is jointly managed with Rosatom, Russia’s state nuclear energy company, which provides the fuel for the NPP and is currently conducting renovation to extend the plant’s life by 10 years.

“Today our power grid is interconnected with Russia, Iran, Georgia, and with Turkey through Georgia. Thus, the energy corridor running through Armenia to Nakhichevan, and from there onward to Turkey and Europe, would also help ensure the stability of Armenia’s energy system in the event of a crisis,” Aliyev continued. 

Aliyev called Metsamor a regional threat given its aging technology and safety mechanisms, a position Baku has repeatedly raised over the years along with Ankara.  

Yerevan responds 

Arman Yeghoyan, a member of parliament within the ruling Civil Contract party, responded to Aliyev's interview on Wednesday, pushing back on several framings used by the Azerbaijani president.

“There are signed documents, statements, and even a draft agreement that has been initialed, and you will not find the phrase ‘Zangezur Corridor’ anywhere in any of these documents. There is no such thing,” Yeghoyan said in opposition to Aliyev’s use of the term. 

“What exists on Armenia’s territory is the TRIPP project, which bears the signatures of the President of Azerbaijan, the President of the United States, and the Prime Minister of Armenia.”

In response to Aliyev’s statements about the Metsamor NPP, Yeghoyan argued that “the nuclear power plant has an operational lifespan. That period is determined neither by the Armenian government nor by the Azerbaijani government, nor by any government in the world, because it is the maximum permissible period of physical operation of the nuclear power plant.”

“2036 is the maximum operating period of our nuclear power plant. We have already announced that we are considering building a new nuclear power plant and are negotiating with a number of international partners,” Yeghoyan stated.