Armenia, Azerbaijan and the United States launched three-country technical planning groups on Nov. 7 to plan transport and electricity links, moving forward with plans for the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), a proposed regional transit link.
The launch was announced by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Brendan Hanrahan, Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan and Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Elnur Mammadov. The groups will include officials and technical experts from all three governments. They will work through difficult planning issues and prepare for later steps to put the project in place.
This work will include connections with other regional infrastructure. Under the published framework, TRIPP is intended to create transit connections through Armenia using different forms of transport. The framework also says TRIPP is intended to link Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.
It is also intended to connect with the wider Trans-Caspian trade route. The framework says the project would operate while respecting Armenia’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and jurisdiction. The governments described the new groups as a step toward putting the project in place.
Their launch is a planning milestone, not an announcement that construction or operations have begun. They reaffirmed their commitment to bringing all components of TRIPP into operation as soon as possible. The joint statement set no timetable.