OMM Redaksiyası
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said the TRIPP project would establish a direct railway link between Azerbaijan and Armenia. He made the remarks on Friday via video address to a meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council in Minsk, the capital of Belarus.
The meeting was attended by the prime ministers of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, all members of the Eurasian Economic Union.
TRIPP could expand regional rail links
Pashinyan said Armenia continues to promote its “Crossroads of Peace” initiative, which aims to expand transport, energy and digital connectivity in the region. He said one of its key elements is the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, or TRIPP.
“The TRIPP project will establish a direct railway link between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” Pashinyan said. He added that it could integrate Armenia into the international railway network and help create a rail connection between the Persian Gulf and the Black Sea.
The prime minister said the development would be significant for Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia and Iran. Pashinyan said he had briefed his counterparts during closed-door discussions on efforts to open regional transport infrastructure following the establishment of peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
He said Yerevan was awaiting measures to improve the efficiency of Armenia’s railway network. Pashinyan did not provide further details.
Barriers within the Eurasian Economic Union
TRIPP aims to provide a transport link through Armenia between Azerbaijan’s mainland and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, while also supporting broader regional connectivity. The project is considered one of the main avenues for developing economic and transport ties between Azerbaijan and Armenia.
The foreign ministers of the two countries met in New York on Sept. 24 on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session and discussed the development of transport and economic ties.
In his address, Pashinyan also voiced concern about restrictions within the Eurasian Economic Union. He said administrative barriers were hindering the effective functioning of the union’s single market.
The prime minister said there had been no significant progress on a number of outstanding issues since the previous meeting, held in August in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan. “In particular, restrictions and administrative barriers that seriously impede the full and effective functioning of the single market remain in place,” Pashinyan said.
He called for continued dialogue to resolve difficulties obstructing the export and transit of Armenian goods, in line with the Eurasian Economic Union’s rules. Pashinyan stressed the importance of the free movement of goods, services, capital and labor, as well as food security and stable supplies of agricultural products, for the single market.
In his view, greater progress in removing trade barriers could create stable trade flows and predictable conditions for businesses in Eurasian Economic Union member states.
