Washington, D.C. | August 7, 2025
In a dramatic geopolitical shift, Armenia is reportedly preparing to grant the United States exclusive rights to develop and manage a strategic transit corridor across its territory as part of a landmark peace agreement with Azerbaijan, according to Reuters, citing U.S. officials.
The deal — expected to be signed tomorrow, August 8, at the White House in the presence of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan — will establish the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), a U.S.-controlled corridor aimed at connecting mainland Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave.
According to sources, the corridor will be developed under Armenian legislation but leased long-term to the U.S., which will sublease it to a private consortium responsible for infrastructure and operation. Officials say the initiative is designed to unlock regional potential and prevent renewed hostilities through commercial diplomacy.
In a symbolic move, the leaders of both South Caucasus nations will also request the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group, the long-defunct body co-chaired by the U.S., Russia, and France since 1992.
The agreement may also pave the way for Azerbaijan’s accession to the Abraham Accords, the U.S.-brokered normalization framework between Israel and Arab states, originally launched under Trump’s first presidency.
Reuters frames the summit as part of Donald Trump’s effort to brand himself as a global peacemaker in his current term, highlighting recent claims that his administration helped resolve conflicts involving India, Pakistan, Iran, Congo, and Rwanda — all within “a few short months.”
The 17-article peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan reportedly affirms mutual recognition of sovereignty and borders, renounces legal claims predating the deal, and commits to keeping third-party military forces out of border zones.
If signed as anticipated, the TRIPP initiative could mark a historic rebalancing of power and influence in the South Caucasus — with the United States stepping into a role traditionally dominated by Russia.
