ArmInfo. When implementing the TRIPP (Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity) project, Armenia should consider global factors rather than focusing on a specific section of the railway bordering Iran. Gagik Aghajanyan, executive director of Apaven, one of Armenia's largest transport and logistics companies, expressed a similar view in an interview with an ArmInfo correspondent.
According to him, limiting itself solely to the Trump Route will not benefit Armenia. It is necessary to consider the entire spectrum of transport routes, including roads in the districts of Ijevan (on the northern border with Azerbaijan), Akhuryan (on the eastern border with Turkey), and elsewhere. The Akhuryan station is already ready to begin operations; it only needs to build terminals, warehouses, and other infrastructure, and Yeraskh is only 600 meters from the Azerbaijani border.
"Personally, I don't believe that a single 42-kilometer section of road under TRIPP will have any impact on the overall unblocking of communications in the region. However, if the aforementioned border connections are resolved in parallel with TRIPP, then, of course, the blockade will be lifted, and Armenia will regain its connection with the countries of the region," the executive director said.
Aghajanyan suggested that the "Trump Route" railway itself could be built within 2-3 years, but only if the results of all pre-project assessments, the project itself, and funding sources are in place. This is especially true given the complex terrain of the area, which will require significant work. Equally important is the fact that the railway is planned to be built along a route that actually runs alongside a highway. In this regard, he recalled the importance of the recent meeting between RA Minister of Economy Gevork Papoyan and potential investors, during which the minister urged them to pay attention to projects related to the creation of infrastructure along the "Trump Route."
Aghajanyan, however, noted that the proposed project is inherently politically motivated, "but then, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars project, which is now fully operational, was also considered political at one time." As a reminder, on August 8, 2025, in Washington, US President Donald Trump, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a joint declaration pledging their intention to normalize relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Trump stated that the key issue that had prevented the signing of a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan had been resolved: the opening of a transit route connecting mainland Azerbaijan with its exclave of Nakhichevan, with the participation of an Armenian-American consortium. TRIPP Development, a company with a 74% stake in Washington and 26% in Yerevan, will develop and build the "Trump Route" transport infrastructure in Armenia. This Armenian-American joint venture will be registered in Armenia and will be authorized to develop the necessary infrastructure-railroads, roads, oil and gas pipelines, and fiber-optic cables.
