US delegation discusses key transit route in Yerevan
YEREVAN
A senior U.S. delegation visited Armenia this week to discuss a transit corridor, named after U.S. President Donal Trump and agreed under the recent Armenia–Azerbaijan peace deal, with an Armenian minister saying the project has now entered the “practical implementation” phase.
Azerbaijani President İlham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan shook hands at a White House peace summit in August, where they signed a landmark agreement aimed at ending decades of conflict.
The deal includes the creation of a major transit corridor to be named the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), which will link Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave across a 32-kilometer (20-mile) stretch of Armenian territory.
In Yerevan, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Brendan Hanrahan and his delegation held talks with Armenian Interior Minister Arpine Sargsyan.
Sargsyan underlined the “critical role” played by Washington in advancing peace between Armenia and Azerbaijab.
Hanrahan separately met with Armenian Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan to discuss ways to expand bilateral economic ties and boost trade volumes. Both sides voiced readiness to pursue joint efforts to strengthen economic links, improve the investment climate, and encourage new initiatives.
Expressing Armenia’s strong interest in the TRIPP project and its infrastructure, Papoyan said in a video statement after the meeting that the plan has now moved into its “practical implementation” stage.
