Alwaght- After agreement of the Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders at the White House earlier in August, now reports suggest that the two sides have taken further steps to accelerate implementation of this corridor deal, and at the center of new developments stands the Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan who has gradually set his country’s policies in line with dictates of Baku and particularly Washington.
Recently, the American ambassador to Armenia talked about laying the groundwork for the new Caucasus corridor. Having in mind that according to the agreement the management of the corridor is to be leased to an American company for 99 years, the preparations for foundation of this company are being made. The ambassador told Civil Net news outlet that this project will be developed in association with a company named TRIPP whose foundation is being made. Armenia will be given a permanent seat in the negotiating table to participate in the development of the project and the US will guarantee its territorial integrity and judicial qualification, and Washington and Baku will work to mitigate its political and security concerns.
Pashinyan also confirmed the matter in remarks, stating at a session of the German Council on Foreign Relations think tank: “A joint Armenian-American company, TRIPP, will be registered in Armenia and granted the right to develop the necessary railway, road, oil and natural gas pipeline, and fiber-optic infrastructure.”
He added: "We will reach the real implementation and construction phase early next year. The execution of this project, which is fully aligned with our government’s ‘Crossroads of Peace’ initiative, will create greater interconnections and interdependencies in the region and become another very important factor for peace.”
Infrastructures being completed
The US ambassador, continuing her remarks, emphasized that Turkey plays a pivotal role in the vision for the so-called TRIPP route, adding, “Armenia is also cooperating with Turkey to carry out all necessary actions for the operationalization of this corridor.” These statements come as President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, had earlier announced that all infrastructure on the Azerbaijani side of the Zangezur Corridor would be completed by the end of December.
According to the ambassador , the related routes in Turkey are also ready, leaving only Armenia, which must complete its own road and rail infrastructure. Accordingly, the US has allocated $145 million in funding for this corridor, the majority of which will be spent on TRIPP route infrastructure and improving border security. Additionally, two intergovernmental working groups have been formed to oversee the implementation of the agreements and the TRIPP route.
Although Armenia and Azerbaijan set aside their disputes under the Washington agreement to pave the way for the corridor’s construction, Baku had set two preconditions for improving relations: one, a revision of Armenia’s constitution, and two, the dissolution of the “Minsk Group.” The second precondition was effectively met following the official declaration by the OSCE on December 2, announcing the end of the Minsk Group and its affiliated structures. Now, rumors are growing louder that Yerevan is softening its previously rigid stance of rejecting the first precondition, and the necessary steps to amend the constitution are underway to address all of Baku’s concerns.
Additionally, Turkey has tied normalization with Armenia to Yerevan accepting the Zangezur Corridor and agreement with Azerbaijan. So, it seems that Pashinyan government is completely aligned with this project.
This transit route is planned to cross Syunik province in southern Armenia which is a strategic point in Zangezur Corridor and plays a key role in Azerbaijan’s linkage to Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.
In addition to geographical significance, this province enjoys natural resources and considerable economic infrastructure that can facilitate trade and transportation in the region. That is why Trump is seriously counting on production from these rare resources in the future. Completion of Zangezur Corridor through Syunik will provide faster access to regional markets, hence considerably cutting time and costs of transportation. So, Syunik is significant commercially and economically to Turkey and Azerbaijan more than it is to Azerbaijan itself.
Actors opposed to TRIPP corridor
Despite Armenia’s agreement with the proposed Washington–Ankara–Baku triangle, several regional actors remain skeptical of the plan. Georgia, given its strategic position in the South Caucasus, fears that the so-called Trump Corridor could sideline key transit routes crossing its territory, including the Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline, and has therefore voiced concern about the project. Europe has also expressed unease, warning that any reshaping of energy and transit routes could undermine the EU’s energy security and economic interests. In response, Washington and its partners insist that the corridor could evolve into a “crossroads of peace,” safeguarding the interests of all countries involved, attracting international backing, and strengthening regional cooperation.
In this context, the US ambassador stressed that the creation of secure and reliable routes in both the north and south, linking Armenia to Nakhchivan, Gyumri, and Turkey’s Kars province, would open a new transit artery connecting East and West in both directions, ultimately benefiting all countries along the route. She noted that Armenia is likely to gain more than any other party, as its eastern and western borders have remained closed for more than three decades.
Pashinyan echoed this view, stating: “The major Trump Route project, alongside the opening of a communication line between Armenia and Turkey, has the potential to become a key component of the Middle Corridor, ensuring seamless connectivity between Europe, the South Caucasus, and Central Asia.” He added that the project would expand regional links, deliver economic benefits across the region, and become another critical factor in advancing peace between Baku and Yerevan.
These claims, however, come amid broader strategic calculations in Washington. One of the US’s core objectives is to expand corridors under its own management in the Caucasus, bypassing routes linked to competitors such as China and preventing them from capitalizing on lucrative transit pathways. From this perspective, the Zangezur Corridor would effectively run parallel to the Middle Corridor, while assertions about its integration with existing routes appear largely cosmetic, aimed at easing regional opposition and accelerating the project’s implementation.
Iran is also a serious opponent of this project. Iran’s Supreme Leader advisor for international affairs Ali Akbar Velayati in recent comments asserted that the so-called Trump corridor in Caucasus is not different from Zangezur Corridor Iran categorically opposed and so Tehran is strongly opposed to this corridor, too. Iran’s opposition to this project is driven by its geopolitical and security implications. Tehran views the corridor as a threat to its regional transit position and a factor granting US as a hostile power a foothold next to its borders. Additionally, Iran is worried about shift of regional dynamics and impairment of its traditional connection routes. These concerns have one thing to say: Though coming under the guise of economy and trade, this American project carries covert security and political aims and can compromise the regional stability and balance. A couple of days ago, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited Baku to discuss current regional developments and the American interference in regional affairs, and it seems that one of the issues of discussion was the anti-Iranian plan in Caucasus and its destructive consequences to regional peace and stability.
Russia, another major actor in Caucasus, is not positive about the US policies in Caucasus and has so far not given its go-ahead to the corridor project. However, a senior foreign ministry official has recently said that Moscow is ready to consult and cooperate with Yerevan on TRIPP project.
