U.S. to unveil next steps in advancing TRIPP
The United States will on Wednesday present the next stage of its initiative to develop the "Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity" (TRIPP) — a planned transport and infrastructure corridor running through southern Armenia.
Senior U.S. State Department officials told reporters that the event in New York will focus on the institutional and financial mechanisms needed to move TRIPP from last year's peace initiative between Armenia and Azerbaijan into the stage of practical implementation, Azatutyun reports.
The event is expected to be attended by the heads of the foreign ministries of Armenia and Azerbaijan, representatives of the five Central Asian states (with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan showing particular interest), U.S. Special Envoy for Peace Steve Witkoff, Senator Steve Daines, as well as executives from more than 40 companies, many of them American. Officials noted that the event will highlight how TRIPP is intended to "widen the bottlenecks" of the Middle Corridor, opening a trade route to the West that would connect Europe with Central Asia while at the same time reducing dependence on transit through Russia, China and Iran.
The meeting will also introduce the Trans-Caspian Enterprise Fund, which, according to officials, will invest in opportunities arising within TRIPP and the broader Trans-Caspian trade route. The fund operates independently of the U.S. government under a board of directors appointed by the White House and receives grant funding from the State Department. It exists separately from the TRIPP Development Company — a joint American-Armenian corporate structure being created to develop and oversee the corridor.
A senior State Department representative said that Washington has spent the past 13 months building the legal framework needed to invest in and manage infrastructure in Armenia, with the U.S. Congress allocating funding to support the peace process and the development of the project. TRIPP is intended to provide unimpeded communication between mainland Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan through Armenian territory.
"This is becoming a critical security issue for us," the official said, calling the elimination of existing trade "bottlenecks" a key task.
Note that the Armenian section is not yet ready for construction to begin. The length of this section is just under 43 kilometers, and it is expected to include a railway, a highway, pipelines, electricity grid infrastructure and digital data transmission lines.
The senior State Department representative said that Azerbaijan is already building infrastructure toward the Armenian border at its own expense, and Turkey is similarly developing infrastructure right up to the border. The remaining section through Armenian territory has yet to be developed.
"We are not at that stage yet," the official replied to a question about whether the first shovel of earth would be turned during Wednesday's event. The administration expects to begin seeking business and investment opportunities by the end of 2026 or in the first quarter of 2027.
Construction of the railway will take longer. Preparation of the feasibility study is expected by the end of 2026 or the beginning of 2027, after which companies will be able to submit bids for tenders. The official noted that completing construction of the railway will take at least 18 months, which is complicated by the difficult topographical terrain.
"In 2027 no one will be riding on this train yet," the State Department representative emphasized.
Energy connections could be realized sooner. Discussions are already under way, and officials expect that electricity supplies could begin in 2027, with the potential integration of the power systems of Armenia and Azerbaijan with the broader regional grids of the C5 countries, Turkey and Europe. Passenger rail service is also planned.
Officials characterized TRIPP as an alternative to existing "East-West" routes. The senior State Department representative said the United States had held talks with regional competitors, but declined to disclose their private positions.
"There have been numerous conversations with all the competitors in the region," the official said, adding that Washington is aware of the potential for "difficult conversations" amid what officials called a challenging neighborhood.
No separate security force or specialized security mechanism for TRIPP was announced. Instead, participants in the briefing emphasized long-term U.S. engagement and continued diplomatic interaction, citing Washington's expanding economic and political ties with Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The September 23 event is intended to mark the transition from the 2025 peace initiative to the stage of its practical implementation, with the participation of more than 40 companies.
