YEREVAN (Realist English). On October 8, representatives of Azerbaijan and Armenia held another technical meeting in the Armenian city of Goris. Formally, it was dedicated to the construction of power transmission lines under the TRIPP project. In reality, Baku is again trying to push through its corridor project through Armenian territory, hiding behind infrastructure rhetoric.
Main content of the meeting
According to the Armenian Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure, the meeting focused on technical issues of power line construction. The sides exchanged views on directions. Particular attention was paid to coordination between agencies. Further steps were also discussed. No agreements were reached on route, capacity, financing, or timeline.
The press service of the Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers also confirmed the content of the meeting. It likewise emphasized that technical issues and interagency coordination were at the center of discussion. The sides did not announce any agreements.
Background of the TRIPP project
TRIPP (Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity) is the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity.” Its essence is the creation of a corridor about 43 km long through the Armenian Syunik. It is to connect the main territory of Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave.
The project was enshrined in a joint declaration signed in August 2025 by Azerbaijani President Aliyev, Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan, and US President Trump in Washington. The planned infrastructure includes roads, power lines, fiber optics, and potentially pipelines.
TRIPP is seen as a continuation of the Middle Corridor. Kazakhstan’s Special Representative for US negotiations, Kazakhan, called it a “logical continuation.” According to him, the project will shorten the distance from Kazakhstan to Europe by about 1,000 km. However, the real benefits for Armenia remain unclear.
Strategic significance for Baku
The electricity component is a key element of TRIPP for Azerbaijan. The planned double-circuit 330 kV power line is designed to transmit up to 1,000 MW. It is to create a channel for transporting electricity from the Caspian basin through Turkey to Europe. Baku gains additional leverage over routes and transit.
Azerbaijan’s operator AzerEnergy began construction in early 2026 of a 74-km section on its own territory and a 105-km section in Nakhchivan. The lines are being laid along the Araz River valley. Baku also plans to build a 230-km 400 kV power line from Nakhchivan to Turkey. It will become a channel for energy exports from Central Asia to Europe.
Analysts note: after construction is completed, Nakhchivan will turn from a long geographically isolated exclave into a trade hub between the Caspian and Turkey. Logistics terminals, warehouses, and processing facilities may appear there. Armenia, meanwhile, risks remaining merely a transit territory without receiving real dividends.
Armenia’s position: Yerevan again sits down at the table with Baku
After the defeat in the 2020 war, Yerevan found itself in a position where refusing negotiations meant further isolation. Pashinyan uses this as justification: “TRIPP will put an end to Armenia’s blockade.” A country that has no north-south rail connection does indeed gain internal connectivity.
But the price of this connectivity is a corridor through Syunik, which Baku consistently calls the “Zangezur Corridor.” These are not just different names for one road. These are different political projects: Yerevan speaks of transit under its sovereignty, Baku of a corridor with a special regime.
What Yerevan promises its citizens
Transit revenues. Pashinyan assures: “For every train passing through our territory, a fee will be charged, and these funds will go to the state budget.” This sounds convincing until one asks: who will control these trains and by what rules?
Infrastructure. The relaunch of the Meghri railway is supposed to provide north-south connection. But this section is located precisely in Syunik — where Azerbaijani military personnel have already crossed the Armenian border without consequences.
Sovereignty. Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan insists: “Armenia’s sovereignty and jurisdiction extend fully to all TRIPP infrastructure. The security of the route will be fully ensured and controlled by Armenia.” This statement sounds firm. The problem is that Yerevan has no mechanisms to ensure its implementation.
What Yerevan did not get
Security guarantees. The incident in Syunik, when an Azerbaijani serviceman freely crossed the Armenian border, showed: Baku can interpret “corridor” however it wants. There are no international mechanisms in the agreement that could counter this.
Resolution of humanitarian problems. Pashinyan admits: “The world is not ideal. Humanitarian problems remain — missing persons, Armenians held in Azerbaijan, demining.” These are not “residual issues.” These are open wounds that Yerevan could not close and now must discuss with those who inflicted them.
Political subjectivity. Armenian critics point out: TRIPP is not a bilateral project. It is an American-Azerbaijani project in which Yerevan is assigned the role of transit territory. TRIPP Development Company, where the US owns 74%, will manage the corridor for 49 years. Armenia gets 26% — and no real levers of influence.
Obstacles to implementation
Despite the start of technical discussions, the practical advancement of TRIPP faces serious obstacles.
TRIPP Development Company has not yet been created. According to the American-Armenian framework agreement signed in January 2026, all work on developing the TRIPP corridor, including power lines, must be carried out by a joint American-Armenian company. In it, the American side owns 74%, the Armenian side — 26%. The company will receive a 49-year monopoly on corridor development. However, it has still not been formed. The framework agreement itself is not binding. This leaves Baku and Washington space for further pressure on Yerevan.
The Armenian side has not yet published concrete plans for the 330 kV power line under TRIPP. The Armenian government and the grid operator confirmed their intention to modernize existing networks. But they have not yet announced a scheme for connecting with the Azerbaijani lines under construction. Baku, in turn, is in no hurry to disclose its obligations.
TRIPP Development Company will create separate SPVs for each infrastructure component. Each will be responsible for management, financing, and operational model. This means that financial and construction agreements on power lines will still have to be coordinated step by step. Baku gains additional leverage at each stage.
Broader regional background
The advancement of TRIPP goes in parallel with the deepening of US bilateral relations with Armenia and Azerbaijan. US State Department representatives call TRIPP a “paradigm shift.”
The US International Development Finance Corporation created the Trans-Caspian Enterprise Fund worth $201 million. It covers Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and five Central Asian countries. The goal is to “prove the commercial viability of projects.” In practice, this means securing external control over the region’s infrastructure.
The Dallas engineering company AECOM is conducting a feasibility study in Armenia on TRIPP infrastructure. The report is expected by the end of 2026. Armenia’s Ambassador to the US stated that after the study is completed, the project may enter the construction phase in early 2027. However, this depends on the study’s results and the completion of necessary procedures.
Armenian Prime Minister Pashinyan previously stated: construction of power lines with Azerbaijan and Turkey will strengthen Armenia’s energy security. In practice, Baku gains additional leverage, while Yerevan gets only promises.
Iran and Russia oppose TRIPP. However, analysts note: the possibilities for direct intervention by both countries are limited. In March 2026, Iran struck Nakhchivan with drones, but the effect was insignificant.
