The cost of implementing the TRIPP project is not public information at this stage, Deputy Finance Minister Avag Avanesyan said in an interview with Sputnik Armenia during the Eurasian Development Bank Business Forum in Almaty.
According to Avanesyan, the relevant estimates have already been prepared but are still being discussed with U.S. partners.
"It is not public information yet. When it becomes public, you will know," the deputy minister said.
Asked about the estimated cost of constructing the Syunik railway alone, and whether earlier estimates of approximately $200-220 million had changed, Avanesyan replied that the principal infrastructure investments would be made by U.S. partners.
"It is a bit difficult for me to speak on their behalf and, so to speak, commit them to a particular direction," he said, explaining that assessments are currently underway and the government will provide updates once they are finalized.
Regarding the condition of the Akhurik and Yeraskh railway sections, Avanesyan referred to an earlier statement by Minister of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Davit Khudatyan, who said that the European Union intends to provide advisory support to Armenia in constructing roads leading to the border crossing with Turkey.
Asked whether the support would include only technical advice or financial assistance as well, Avanesyan said that agreements of this kind with the European Union generally include both components. He noted that the EU has accumulated considerable expertise, particularly in the proper design of infrastructure projects.
When asked whether the restoration of those railway sections had been discussed with South Caucasus Railways, the deputy minister said that various discussions are continuing in parallel.
"If South Caucasus Railways says, 'We are interested and want to invest,' that would be excellent. But if it calculates a price so high that the external benefits for us effectively disappear, then the question of whether the project remains worthwhile will arise," Avanesyan said.
He stressed that the Armenian government's primary consideration throughout the ongoing discussions is safeguarding the country's interests and ensuring that the national economy does not suffer losses.
On August 8, 2025, in Washington, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a seven-point joint declaration providing for the creation of a strategic transit route through Armenia's southern Syunik Province. The route, named the Trump Route (TRIPP), is intended to provide Azerbaijan with commercial access to Nakhchivan.
On June 4, Armenia and the United States signed the TRIPP framework agreement in a virtual ceremony. The document was signed on behalf of Armenia by Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and on behalf of the United States by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
