Prime Minister Pashinian pledged to give the United States exclusive rights to the corridor during talks with U.S. President Donald Trump and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev held at the White House on August 8. Key details of what will be called the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) remain unknown.
Brendan Hanrahan of the State Department's Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs discussed them with Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigorian.
“Here in Yerevan, I am thrilled to announce that, working with Congress, we plan to provide $145 million in assistance for Armenia, which marks the first major step toward making TRIPP a reality,” Hanrahan said in an X post after the talks. “Enjoyed productive discussions on our shared goals for expanding regional connectivity and economic investment.”
An Armenian readout of the talks quoted the U.S. official as saying that the planned funding will support “investments in trade, infrastructure, critical minerals supply chains, and cross-border security.” It gave no other details.
It was not immediately clear whether Hanrahan met or will meet with other senior Armenian officials. The U.S. Embassy in Yerevan said his two-day visit “underscores the United States’ and Armenia’s shared commitment to promoting peace and stability in the region.”
A joint declaration signed by Aliyev and Pashinian in Washington makes only a general reference to the TRIPP, saying that Armenia will ensure “unhindered communication” between the Nakhichevan exclave and the rest of Azerbaijan through its Syunik province. Also, Pashinian and Trump signed a memorandum of understanding on “the Crossroads of Peace Capacity Building Partnership.” It says little about concrete steps that will be taken by Washington and Yerevan.
Speaking during a signing ceremony at the White House, Trump appeared to confirm Western press reports that the U.S. will secure a long-term lease on the transit route through Syunik. He said it “could extend for up to 99 years.”
However, Pashinian insisted later in August that no “fixed agreements” have been reached yet on time frames and other practical modalities of this transit arrangement that has prompted concern from Russia and Iran. He said Armenian, Azerbaijani and U.S. officials will hold more talks on the matter in September.