The groundbreaking ceremony for the TRIPP, or Trump Route, project could take place in early 2027, Armenian Ambassador to the U.S. Narek Mkrtchyan said in an interview with U.S. news outlet Semafor.
“The TRIPP project is moving forward. The feasibility study is expected to be completed by the end of this year,” he said, Panorama.am reports.
The ambassador also noted that Armenia had reaffirmed its commitment to implementing the TRIPP transit and energy corridor while seeking to maintain ties with Russia and Iran.
In Washington, the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and the U.S. — Nikol Pashinyan, Ilham Aliyev and Donald Trump — formally reached an agreement on launching the Trump Route.
“The route will allow Azerbaijan to reach Nakhchivan while fully respecting Armenia’s sovereignty. Armenia is also establishing an exclusive partnership with the U.S. to develop this corridor. The term could be extended for up to 99 years, and they have promised to extend it for another 99 years after that. We expect major infrastructure development. American companies are eager to enter these countries and spend a lot of money, which will bring economic benefits to our three nations,” Trump said.
On September 11, Nikol Pashinyan said that Armenia had not leased land to the U.S. side for 99 years but had instead granted development rights.
