During the CIS Heads of State Council meeting in Dushanbe, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that the TRIPP project (Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity) not only enhances Armenia’s connectivity with Azerbaijan but also creates new opportunities for exports and imports for CIS member states.
“I am pleased to note that peace has been established between Armenia and Azerbaijan after a long-standing conflict,” Pashinyan said, emphasizing that the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration, a founding document of the CIS, served as a cornerstone for this process.
Quoting the Washington Declaration signed on August 8 following a summit initiated by U.S. President Donald Trump, Pashinyan stressed that Armenia and Azerbaijan have recognized the need for a forward-looking, non-retaliatory approach rooted in the UN Charter and the principles of territorial integrity.
He reiterated that the two countries reaffirmed the importance of opening communication routes for domestic, bilateral, and international transit, respecting sovereignty and jurisdiction.
TRIPP, he explained, is designed to ensure unimpeded transport between mainland Azerbaijan and Nakhichevan through Armenian territory, while providing reciprocal communication advantages for Armenia. Yerevan is also working with the U.S. and third parties to define the scope of this initiative on Armenian soil.
This, Pashinyan said, marks a major shift, enabling Armenia to develop rail and transport links with Azerbaijan and other CIS countries, thus enhancing regional trade and boosting the efficiency of the CIS itself.
He noted that the peace agreement doesn’t mean all bilateral issues are resolved. Future steps must include establishing trade, political, cultural, and humanitarian ties, a challenge given decades of hostility.
Still, the peace gives confidence. “I want to congratulate not just Armenia and Azerbaijan, but all CIS members because I know you all wanted this to happen. Peace is now a reality,” he said.
Pashinyan also recalled that in 2024, Armenia and Azerbaijan signed their first bilateral legal document, a protocol between border delimitation commissions, also based on the Alma-Ata Declaration. This resulted in delimiting around 12 km of the interstate border.
The TRIPP corridor agreement was announced during the August 8 summit between Pashinyan, Aliyev, and Trump. Trump called it a historic route that would give Azerbaijan access to Nakhechevan while fully respecting Armenia’s sovereignty, with U.S. companies eager to invest. Pashinyan later clarified Armenia had granted construction rights, not leased territory, for 99 years.
