Foreign Ministry announces Trump Route construction start date

The practical implementation and construction phase of the Trump Route (TRIPP) project will begin in 2026, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in response to a written inquiry from Sputnik Armenia.

The MFA clarified that Armenia is holding intensive negotiations with U.S. partners on the legal framework and regulations for the TRIPP project.

“TRIPP Company, an Armenian-American joint venture, will be registered in Armenia and will receive the right to develop the necessary infrastructure for railways, roads, oil and gas pipelines, as well as fiber optic cables,” the ministry said.

Armenia considers the implementation of the Trump Route project to be an integral part of the Armenian government’s Crossroads of Peace initiative, which is fully compatible with major regional infrastructure projects aimed at enhancing connectivity, including the Middle Corridor and the Persian Gulf–Black Sea programs.

On Aug. 8 in Washington, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a joint declaration consisting of seven points, which envisages the creation of a strategic transit route through Armenia’s southern region (Syunik Province). The route will be called the Trump Route (TRIPP) and will provide Azerbaijan with commercial access to Nakhijevan.

In the presence of the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and the United States, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov also pre-signed the agreement “On the Establishment of Peace and Interstate Relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan.”

Earlier, on Sept. 11, PM Nikol Pashinyan stated that Armenia is not leasing land to the U.S. for 99 years, but rather granting development rights.