United States President Trump confirms joint commitment of Armenia and Azerbaijan to a lasting peace at a White House summit.
The South Caucasus region is set for a significant geopolitical shift, as Armenia and Azerbaijan are on the brink of signing a peace deal that includes the establishment of a strategic transit corridor known as the "Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity" (TRIPP). This corridor, a key component of the peace agreement, was brokered by former U.S. President Donald Trump during a historic peace summit in 2020.
The TRIPP corridor, also known as the Zangezur corridor, spans 43 kilometres through southern Armenia. It connects mainland Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave, providing direct access to European and Mediterranean markets via Turkey. The United States has secured exclusive development rights over this corridor for a period of 99 years, with plans for infrastructure projects such as rail, road, oil and gas pipelines, fiber-optic cables, and potential electricity transmission lines.
The peace deal, celebrated by both Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, symbolises a strategic U.S. initiative aimed at reducing Russian and Iranian influence in the region. By opening new trade routes that bypass these nations, the TRIPP corridor provides Azerbaijan with a direct route to Nakhchivan through Armenian territory.
Economically, the TRIPP corridor is expected to unlock up to $45 billion in infrastructure and energy investment opportunities. This will diversify Azerbaijan’s export routes and provide Armenia with new trade channels, potentially reducing economic isolation and incentives for conflict. The deal also includes the lifting of previous U.S. restrictions on military-technical cooperation with Azerbaijan, improving bilateral ties.
However, the corridor’s creation has raised concerns over Armenian sovereignty among critics, who argue that it involves granting the U.S. extensive control over Armenian land for nearly a century and allows passage for Azerbaijan across Armenia. Regional powers such as Iran have expressed security concerns and opposition to the corridor, despite welcoming the broader peace agreement.
In March 2021, Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed on a comprehensive peace deal, but Azerbaijan later introduced new demands. Azerbaijan recaptured the Karabakh region from Armenian forces in a 2023 offensive, resulting in more than 100,000 ethnic Armenians fleeing. The countries will sign a joint declaration establishing the TRIPP corridor, which is expected to mark a lasting peace between the two nations.
Both Pashinyan and Aliyev have suggested jointly appealing to the Nobel committee to award Trump the Peace Prize. The U.S. president has been touting his diplomatic achievements, citing his role in easing tensions between Cambodia and Thailand, and between India and Pakistan. Cambodia's prime minister announced he had nominated Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize.
In conclusion, the TRIPP corridor is a strategic transit corridor forming the core of the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal. It aims to establish lasting peace through economic integration and geopolitical realignment, while also signaling a shift in regional power dynamics with increased U.S. involvement and reduced Russian and Iranian influence. The Armenia-Azerbaijan peace 'roadmap' features a key transit route and deeper ties with the United States, making it a significant development for the South Caucasus region.
- The European Union, observing the geopolitical shift in the South Caucasus region, may adjust its foreign policy-and-legislation towards Turkey, considering the TRIPP corridor's potential to connect Azerbaijan to European and Mediterranean markets via Turkey.
- politics in Russia might become more complex as a result of the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal and the creation of the TRIPP corridor, especially considering its aim to reduce Russian influence in the region.
- War-and-conflicts in the South Caucasus region could be influenced by the finalization of the Armenia-Azerbaijan peace deal and the establishment of the TRIPP corridor, as tensions could arise from concerns over Armenian sovereignty and security along the new transit route.
