The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Foreign Relations has issued a favorable opinion on the draft ratification of the framework agreement on strategic cooperation between Armenia and the U.S. concerning the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) project.
Four committee members voted in favor of the document, while one voted against it. The proposal has therefore passed the parliamentary committee stage and is expected to be included on the agenda of an upcoming plenary session of the National Assembly, Factor.am reports.
Armenian Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister Ararat Mirzoyan presented the agreement’s main provisions and potential implementation opportunities to lawmakers.
The minister emphasized that implementing the initiative could significantly increase Armenia’s role in international freight transportation and transit connectivity. In his assessment, reopening transport routes would create opportunities to transform Armenia into a major regional and international logistics hub.
According to Mirzoyan, the proposed transport links would open new opportunities for Armenia in the directions of Central Asia, China and Iran, contributing to the expansion of foreign trade relations and the development of freight transportation.
The foreign minister also stressed that the project is intended to be implemented with Armenia’s sovereignty and jurisdiction fully preserved.
Discussions of the agreement were accompanied by a number of questions and concerns raised by opposition lawmakers. They drew attention to the project’s potential political consequences and uncertainties surrounding the normalization of relations with Azerbaijan.
One of the opposition’s principal concerns is that Armenia could provide the planned transport connection for Azerbaijan without ultimately receiving guarantees that a peace agreement would be signed in return.
Despite the objections, the committee issued a favorable opinion on the proposal.
