Afət Ziyadqızı
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has made a statement on Iranian state television about the “Trump Route” (the TRIPP project) and a possible US presence in the region.
The Operative Information Center-OMM reports that the Iranian diplomat stressed Tehran’s sensitivity to US involvement in the South Caucasus:
“We are concerned about any form of US military or political presence in our region and near our borders, and we are extremely sensitive to this issue,” Araghchi said.
The minister said Iran was holding intensive talks with Armenia on the matter. Araghchi said Tehran was confident that Yerevan would not take steps contrary to Iran’s security interests:
“We will continue our dialogue with Armenian officials consistently. Armenia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ararat Mirzoyan, visited Tehran recently, and we held very productive meetings. Today, President Masoud Pezeshkian will hold a bilateral meeting in Yerevan with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan,” the foreign minister added.
On Aug. 8 this year, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan reached an agreement in principle to implement the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP) at a trilateral meeting hosted by US President Donald Trump at the White House.
The project is intended to ensure unimpeded and secure land and transport links between Azerbaijan’s main territory and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, an integral part of the country. The strategic route, to be developed under the Zangezur corridor concept, is planned to include a modern railway, a highway, and energy and communications lines.
