Armenian PM lauds Trump’s key role in peace breakthrough with Azerbaijan

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has once again underscored the special role of U.S. President Donald Trump in the establishment of peace with Azerbaijan.

Speaking during the Crossroads of Peace: Advancing Regional Connectivity and Cooperation international conference, organized by the Civil Contract Party and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, Prime Minister Pashinyan highlighted the pivotal role that Trump’s personal involvement played in the peace process, particularly in unblocking regional connectivity and achieving other breakthrough developments.

“Of course, the process had been progressing quite positively in the previous period, despite some difficulties. U.S. President Donald Trump’s personal involvement was the decisive factor that made it possible for us to reach this agreement,” Prime Minister Pashinyan said.

Pashinyan noted that the implementation of the TRIPP project, along with other initiatives such as the Crossroads of Peace, represents the best guarantee for the newly established peace in the region.

He emphasized that TRIPP will bring significant benefits to all parties, and therefore no actor will have an interest in destabilizing the region.

The Prime Minister also reiterated that the project, to be implemented within Armenian territory, will not harm the interests of Iran, Georgia, or the Russian Federation. On the contrary, it will open new opportunities for all.

“After August 8, I expressed the view that the Russian Federation would be one of the parties most interested in the implementation of this project. At the time, my assessment was met with skepticism, but we all witnessed that Russia emerged as the first beneficiary of the Azerbaijani railway unblocked for Armenia as a result of the Washington accords. The project is clearly advantageous for Armenia and Azerbaijan, as well as for Georgia, Iran, the countries of Central Asia, the United States, China, and other countries in the Persian Gulf,” the Prime Minister emphasized.

Pashinyan stressed that the Armenian government is working as transparently as possible, and over time, all concerns that worry the public will be addressed.

“I categorically reject any future hypothetical scenarios of apocalypse or catastrophe—regardless of their form—because such a thing cannot happen, simply because all agreements are public and transparent,” the Prime Minister said, emphasizing that the government does not have any confidential or verbal deals on any matter.

“A verbal agreement is not even possible, because a verbal agreement can be interpreted differently even half an hour later and can lead to misunderstandings. No verbal agreement exists or can exist, and the main reason for this is legitimacy. These projects cannot be implemented without legitimacy. In general, all our strategies are based on legitimacy, because only legitimacy can bring lasting peace, stability, democracy, the rule of law, and so on,” concluded Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.

The Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) is a connectivity project in Armenia envisaged under the U.S.-brokered Armenian-Azerbaijani joint declaration signed in Washington, D.C., on August 8. The project is expected to unlock strategic economic opportunities, creating long-term benefits by promoting infrastructure investment and enhancing regional connectivity.