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Armenia maintains a framework of cooperation with NATO but has no aspirations to join the bloc, a senior lawmaker said on Tuesday.
Sargis Khandanyan, MP from the ruling Civil Contract Party and Head of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, was asked at a press briefing about a possible NATO presence in Armenia in the context of TRIPP. He said such assumptions are inappropriate.
“There can be no NATO presence in Armenia because, first of all, Armenia does not have aspirations for NATO membership. Armenia maintains a certain framework of cooperation with NATO, which does not imply NATO’s physical presence in the country,” Khandanyan said, adding that speaking about NATO’s presence in the context of the joint Armenia–U.S. TRIPP project is inappropriate.
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. The project is expected to unlock strategic economic opportunities, create long-term benefits by promoting infrastructure investment, and enhance regional connectivity. TRIPP is part of the Crossroads of Peace project, and an Armenian-American joint enterprise is expected to develop the route.