ARMENIA: Armenia and the USA have reached an agreement for the creation of the so-called Trump Route for International Peace & Prosperity Corridor multimodal transport link across southern Armenia. This would form part of a planned rail and road corridor from Azerbaijan’s Caspian ports to Turkey and Europe.
The TRIPP Implementation Framework was announced in Washington on January 13 and outlines plans for the establishment and commercial operation of a multimodal rail and road corridor.
No timeframe has been given for the start of development work on the corridor, but Azeri and Armenian officials have begun conducting joint inspections of border connections and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev has said he expected construction work in Armenia to begin this year.
US-Armenian joint venture
The blueprint confirms Armenia would retain full sovereignty over the corridor, with legislative, regulatory and judicial authority as well as control over security, border controls, taxes and customs.
Development and operation of the corridor would be conducted by a new TRIPP Development Company in which the US will hold a 74% stake and Armenia 26%. This would have exclusive rights to the corridor for 49 years with an option to renew for a further 50 years.
The company would have exclusive rights to develop rail infrastructure including terminals, stations and rolling stock facilities, as well road, energy and digital infrastructure, and any other supporting infrastructure deemed necessary.
Zangezur now TRIPP
Formerly known as the Zangezur Corridor, the route was renamed as TRIPP in August 2025 as part of a peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan brokered by US President Donald Trump.
This ended 35 years of armed conflict between the two former Soviet states and formally confirmed the support of both countries for development of the corridor.
The planned corridor would run for 42 km across Armenia’s southern Syunik region, following the route of a derelict former Soviet era rail line. It would link with Azerbaijan’s rail lines from the Capsian in the east and an existing rail line in Azerbaijan’s Naxçıvan exclave in the west.
Development of a rail link between Naxçıvan and Turkey is underway, which when completed would create a through route between the Caspian Sea and destinations in Europe.
