Russia expects to continue dialogue with Armenia over Trump Route

Russia hopes to continue dialogue with Armenia regarding the unblocking of connections in the South Caucasus, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said at a press briefing in Moscow.

She made the comments when asked about TRIPP — the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity — a connectivity project in Armenia envisioned under the U.S.-brokered Armenian-Azerbaijani joint declaration signed in Washington, D.C.

"How this route will function in practice can only be understood after becoming familiar with the specific details of the project,” she said.

Zakharova noted that a number of "additional factors" must be taken into account. She mentioned Armenia’s membership in the Eurasian Economic Union’s common customs territory, the management of Armenia’s railway network by a Russian railway operator, and the fact that the area through which TRIPP would supposedly pass is patrolled by Russian border guards.

Zakharova also referenced the work of the Russia-Azerbaijan-Armenia deputy prime ministerial working group on the unblocking of transport and economic links. She said that important agreements had been reached within this group and that those agreements remain in effect.