Armenia, Azerbaijan and the United States formed technical planning groups on November 6 to plan transport links and ways to carry electricity for the proposed TRIPP regional route.
The groups were announced by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Brendan Hanrahan, Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan and Azerbaijani Deputy Foreign Minister Elnur Mammadov. The three governments said policymakers and technical experts would work together to address difficult infrastructure questions. They said the groups would also prepare for later steps in putting the project into effect.
TRIPP stands for the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity. It is intended to create a route for different kinds of transport through Armenia. The route is intended to link Azerbaijan’s main territory with its Nakhchivan territory, which is separate from the main territory.
It is also intended to connect with wider regional networks. The U.S.-Armenia framework for putting the project into effect says the route is to run through Armenian territory while respecting Armenia’s independence, its control over its territory and its legal authority there. The joint announcement said the groups would also consider links to other regional infrastructure.
It reaffirmed the countries’ commitment to making all parts ready for use quickly. The announcement did not give a construction schedule, budget or detailed engineering plans. It therefore marks a planning step, not the start of construction.