The United States will provide $145 million as a first installment to Armenia to support the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), a new U.S.-brokered transit route linking Azerbaijan through Armenia. The announcement was made in Yerevan on September 11 by Brendan Hanrahan of the State Department’s Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, during a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan attended by U.S. Ambassador Kristina Kvien.
Grigoryan welcomed the delegation, praised the agreements reached in Washington on August 8, and expressed hope that U.S.-Armenia relations would continue to develop under the memoranda of understanding signed between the two countries.
Hanrahan wrote on X: “Here in Yerevan, I am thrilled to announce that, working with Congress, we plan to provide $145 million in assistance for Armenia, which marks the first major step toward making TRIPP a reality. Enjoyed productive discussions on our shared goals for expanding regional connectivity and economic investment.” He also said the package advances commitments made at President Trump’s “historic peace summit.”
According to an Armenian government readout, the funds will target trade, infrastructure, critical mineral supply chains, and cross-border security. The U.S. Embassy in Yerevan said the two-day visit underscored the countries’ “shared commitment to promoting peace and stability in the region.”
At the White House last month, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and former U.S. President Donald Trump initialed a trilateral declaration on peace and connectivity. Armenia pledged to ensure “unhindered communication” between Nakhichevan and the rest of Azerbaijan through its Syunik province. In addition, Trump and Pashinyan signed a bilateral memorandum of understanding on a Crossroads of Peace Capacity-Building Partnership.
Trump later said the route would allow Azerbaijan access to Nakhichevan while respecting Armenia’s sovereignty. He added that its duration could extend up to 99 years, renewable for another 99 years, remarks seen as confirming Western press reports about a possible U.S. lease arrangement. He also highlighted the potential for major American investment in regional infrastructure.
Prime Minister Pashinyan has since clarified that no binding or fixed agreements on timelines or operational details have yet been reached. Further discussions between Armenian, Azerbaijani, and U.S. officials are expected this month. The project has drawn concern from both Russia and Iran.
The proposed route will stretch 43 kilometers through Armenia’s Syunik province. Armenian officials stress the project will remain under Armenia’s jurisdiction. State Revenue Committee Chairman Eduard Hakobyan told parliament that Armenian customs authorities will operate on the Trump Route.
“Regarding details, they are subject to discussion. Nonetheless, regardless of that, our general customs policy is total, meaning we are carrying out reforms toward facilitating trade on all our borders,” Hakobyan said in response to a question from opposition MP Artsvik Minasyan.
