Armenia contemplating potential agreement with Türkiye following momentous peace negotiations with Azerbaijan
The Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) is a strategic transit corridor project agreed upon in August 2025 between Armenia and Azerbaijan, brokered and hosted by former U.S. President Donald Trump. This ambitious project aims to normalize Armenia-Azerbaijan relations and enhance regional connectivity by linking Azerbaijan’s separated territories, Turkey, and potentially Europe and Asia.
The peace agreement including TRIPP was signed at the White House by Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and Trump. The U.S. holds exclusive development rights, subleasing to a consortium responsible for building transport and energy links. Implementation is expected to start gradually, likely from mid-2026 or later, with continued U.S. and private sector engagement emphasized to ensure progress.
For Armenia, TRIPP represents a complex arrangement. It enables transit infrastructure and economic benefits through U.S. partnership but cedes exclusive development rights over critical corridor land, provoking mixed domestic and international reactions. For Turkey, the corridor offers a direct route to Azerbaijan, facilitating increased trade and energy exports, further strengthening Turkey-Azerbaijan ties. Azerbaijan gains direct land access to Nakhchivan and through it to Turkey, boosting its strategic connectivity without transiting Iran or Russia.
Regionally, TRIPP is designed to reduce the influence of Russia, Iran, and China in the South Caucasus by creating a U.S.-backed transit route connecting Turkey, Azerbaijan, and potentially Europe, Central Asia, and beyond. Iran opposes TRIPP, viewing the corridor adjacent to its border as a security threat that would cut its access to Armenia and undermine its regional influence. Russia is notably excluded from the agreement and expresses concern over growing U.S. involvement, indicating a potential geopolitical contest in the region.
Armenia and Azerbaijan held a trilateral summit with the U.S. at the White House, which was described as a turning point in Armenia-Azerbaijan normalization. One of the key components of the agreement at the White House summit is the development of TRIPP, which will connect mainland Azerbaijan and its Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. The Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty agreed in March has now been initialed. Turkey welcomed progress toward establishing lasting peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia following a declaration recorded in Washington on Aug. 8.
In 2021, Ankara and Yerevan appointed special representatives tasked with normalizing relations and negotiating the reopening of their land border. The two countries, Armenia and Turkey, share a complex history, with Armenia accusing Turkey of committing genocide against the Armenian population during World War I, a claim Turkey has repeatedly denied. Limited agreements have allowed third-country citizens and diplomats to cross the border, but a full reopening remains elusive.
Turkey described the recent developments as a "historic opportunity" for achieving peace and prosperity in the South Caucasus. As TRIPP moves forward, it will be interesting to see how this project shapes the geopolitical landscape of the region and contributes to the normalization of relations between Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Turkey.
- The TRIPP project, a strategic transit corridor, linking Turkey, Azerbaijan, and potentially Europe and Asia, is a significant part of the peace agreement signed at the White House in 2025.
- Turkey, with its direct route to Azerbaijan offered by TRIPP, is anticipating increased trade and energy exports, thereby strengthening its ties with Azerbaijan.
- The world is closely watching how the TRIPP project, designed to reduce the influence of Russia, Iran, and China in the South Caucasus, will shape the geopolitical landscape of the region and potentially impact the relations between its key players.
- In the context of the complex history between Armenia and Turkey, the appointments of special representatives in 2021 to normalize relations and reopen their land border are viewed as a potential step towards resolution, aided by the agreement on TRIPP and the associated peace treaty.
