White House reveals details of meeting agenda between leaders of Armenia, US and Azerbaijan
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President Donald Trump is scheduled to host the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan at the White House on Friday, where they are expected to finalize a peace agreement that would grant the United States exclusive development access to a critical transit corridor in the South Caucasus, which will be named after Trump, according to White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly, CNN reported.
“This will allow unimpeded connectivity between the two countries while respecting Armenia, sovereignty and territorial integrity and its people,” Kelly said.
Armenia plans to grant the US long-term, exclusive rights to develop a newly designated transportation route through its territory as part of the forthcoming agreements, CNN quoted Kelly as saying.
The project will operate under Armenian legal jurisdiction, and the United States will in turn lease the land to a consortium responsible for construction and management, according to a senior administration official.
“Working groups will launch immediately to fully implement the details of the roadmap over the coming months. By locking in this path to peace, we are unlocking the great potential of the South Caucasus region in trade, transit, and energy flows,” the official added.
“President Trump will sign deals with both Armenia and Azerbaijan that will unlock our relationships with each country and the region while benefiting American businesses,” Kelly said.
“What President Trump is going to sign today is a directive to set up the TRIPP negotiating team,” the official said, adding that the administration has received calls from nine potential candidates — including three US-based operators.