Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu has described the Zangezur Corridor – also referred to as the “Trump Route” (TRIPP) – as an important element for developing regional connectivity and trade, saying that any new transport route “contributes to communication and economic ties between nations.”
Speaking after a meeting with counterparts from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Shoigu said the planned road linking mainland Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic through Armenia “has every right to exist.”
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“Any road is always a good thing, in my view, because it promotes relations, trade, and human communication,” Shoigu said. “This route – the Zangezur Corridor, about 40 kilometers long – is not only justified but necessary, so that Azerbaijan can connect Nakhchivan with its other regions and enable trade between the two countries.”
He added that the corridor passing through Syunik Province in southern Armenia would not interfere with Russia’s own transport initiatives, particularly the North–South International Transport Corridor, which runs through Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan – far from Armenia’s southern border.
“This road runs west to east, somewhat off to the side – if not entirely apart – and they don’t intersect. It’s difficult to imagine one project affecting the other,” Shoigu said.
