Armenia is courting Central Asia as it intensifies efforts to break ground on an ambitious trade corridor named after US President Donald Trump -- the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, or TRIPP.Part of a peace deal between Yerevan and Baku, the planned corridor would run across Armenian territory, linking Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave while opening a new east-west trade artery bypassing Russia and Iran.The proposed plan has the backing of Washington, but has riled Moscow and Tehran, two countries under heavy Western sanctions.Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian has in recent weeks pushed for the involvement of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. But both countries, observers say, are wary of angering Russia, a key political and economic player in Central Asia.Pashinian discussed TRIPP with the leaders of Azerbaijan and India as well representatives from the United States during the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Bishkek on September 1.
On August 27, Pashinian confirmed to RFE/RL’s Armenian Service that he had discussed Kazakhstan’s possible participation in TRIPP during a recent phone call with Kazkah President Qasym-Zhomart Tokaev.“We discussed this issue in relation to Kazakhstan and the TRIPP project. Various countries are now showing interest,” Pashinian said, without elaborating.Kyrgyz official Daniyar Amangeldiev told RFE/RL’s Kyrgyz Service that the government had yet to receive an official proposal.Public RolloutWhile the participation of potential regional partners remains uncertain, Armenia and the United States are moving ahead with plans to publicly launch the project.On September 1, they launched the official TRIPP Armenia Facebook page, jointly managed by the Armenian Foreign Ministry and US Embassy in Yerevan.On the same day, US and Armenian officials met in Armenia’s province of Syunik, where the 43-kilometer-long corridor is planned, to discuss the project and its potential economic benefits.
