By Alexander Pracht
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan told parliament on Tuesday that the Trump Route project, also known as TRIPP, could be implemented before Armenia and Azerbaijan sign a comprehensive peace treaty.
“[Signing the treaty first] would be the textbook sequence, but reality doesn’t always follow the script. At the same time, the Trump Route project could contribute to peace,” Mirzoyan said as he presented the project to lawmakers ahead of a parliamentary vote on its ratification.
The project, agreed upon by Armenia and the United States last year, is intended to establish a transport route connecting mainland Azerbaijan with its Nakhichevan exclave through Armenia’s southern Syunik province.
Under the proposed arrangement, the United States would play a central role in developing and managing the route, while Armenia would retain sovereignty over the territory, including its borders and customs procedures. The project is expected to include rail and road links, with the possibility of additional infrastructure for energy and telecommunications.
The opposition Armenia Alliance will vote against the project, its lawmaker Anna Grigoryan announced. The other major opposition force, Strong Armenia, has also strongly criticized TRIPP but has yet to clarify how it will vote. The party’s lawmaker Narek Karapetyan suggested in parliament that the Trump Route should not be ratified before Baku agrees to sign the peace treaty, arguing that Baku might have no incentive to sign once it gains land access to Nakhichevan.
Also read: Russia-born U.S. entrepreneur with businesses in Armenia to head Washington’s TRIPP fund
The project stems from an August 2025 peace declaration signed by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev at a White House summit hosted by US President Donald Trump.
Despite Azerbaijan being the project’s primary stakeholder, TRIPP is a joint Armenian-U.S. venture, with Baku having no role in its ownership or decision-making. You can also read CivilNet’s in-depth explainer on the project’s legal framework and ownership structure.
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