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Sargis Khandanyan, the Civil Contract party’s candidate for chair of the parliamentary Committee on Foreign Relations, said that the TRIPP is an infrastructure project, not a “territory or military base,” and that no security presence of any other country is envisaged under the project.
“A lot was said about the TRIPP, and I made this point several times during yesterday’s Q&A session,” he said in Parliament, responding to opposition claims about the connectivity project.
“I want to reiterate that the TRIPP is an infrastructure project. The context of yesterday’s discussion, particularly the questions raised by the Armenia Alliance, was such that the TRIPP was being presented as something similar to the Lachin Corridor, but that is not the case. This is evidenced by all the documents published on the TRIPP to date, as well as by the agreement that Parliament will discuss,” Khandanyan said.
He stressed that the TRIPP is not a military base either.
“In general, there will be no security presence of any other country within the TRIPP. As the agreement makes clear, the entire security function is assigned to the Republic of Armenia and the relevant bodies of the Republic of Armenia,” Khandanyan said.
The lawmaker also addressed the process of unblocking regional communications, noting that it has already begun, although not yet on a sufficient scale.
“Armenia has already been using Azerbaijan’s railways for several months, and the restriction on using the Akhalkalaki–Kars railway has also been lifted. These are also elements of the broader process of unblocking regional communications,” Khandanyan said.
The Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) is a connectivity project in southern 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. An Armenian-American joint enterprise is engaged in developing the route.
The Framework Agreement between Armenia and the United States on Strategic Cooperation concerning the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) specifically states that Armenia retains full sovereignty and jurisdiction over its borders and customs operations, including responsibility for security, border and customs controls, taxation, government data systems, and state oversight. It also has the right to maintain a physical presence at all border control facilities.