Armenia finally takes up the TRIPP project - the opposition is panicking again

Armenia finally takes up the TRIPP project - the opposition is panicking again

"I do not envy the conspirators and those who predict the destruction of our society day and night. Have a nice day." Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan concluded his social media post with these words. The post was dedicated to a joint statement by Armenia and the United States regarding the framework for the implementation of the TRIPP project. The Foreign Minister advised the Armenians to read this document, which is useful for Armenia.

After the statement was published, opponents of the current government hastened to cast doubt on the fragile minds, convincing them that TRIPP is dangerous for Armenia's sovereignty, and it is useful only for Azerbaijan, which pursues its own interests.

Of course, Azerbaijan pursues its own interests. Moreover, he ensured that his national interests were accepted as the interests of all project participants. And most importantly, these interests do not contradict, but just completely coincide with the interests of Armenia. It's just that before the United States joined the case, Yerevan was afraid to admit it, fearing the reaction of the local opposition camp. Buckets of dirt are still falling out on Nikol Pashinyan, but the presence of a country like the United States in the foreground makes opponents slow down somewhat. Today, criticism of TRIPP is developing with an emphasis not on the interests of Azerbaijan, but on "what will Iran say?" The revanchists are doing the same thing that the official authorities used to do - they are holding on to the Iranian position on the Zangezur corridor. Previously, the revanchists held on to the opinion of Russia, which does not seem to mind, but always has a "BUT". Iran's position is more beneficial to Pashinyan's opponents, as it is unequivocally negative.

Official Tehran is not up to TRIPP right now, but the country's ambassador to Armenia sings like a nightingale almost every day. This is what the revanchist opposition has seized upon, for which every step taken by the Armenian authorities towards Azerbaijan serves as another nail in the lid of the opposition coffin. The fewer such nails there are, the better for the revanchists.

Opposition politicians and experts are wringing their hands and scaring Armenians with the impending closure of the road of life - the border with Iran. Armenia is closing its border with Iran for 100 years, Levon Zurabyan, who is running to replace Pashinyan, announced on social media. Levon Ter-Petrosyan's deputy considers the project to be the end of Armenian sovereignty, a humiliating deal and a diplomatic failure. Zurabyan does not like the conditions of unhindered communication between the main part of Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan. This figure is unable to realize the simple truth - the Armenian side does not have the right to a full-fledged inspection of passengers and cargo traveling non-stop from Azerbaijan to Armenia. Cargo and passengers that will be sent non-stop through the territory of Armenia, from Baku or other regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the NAR, do not fall under the category of international transportation. All Azerbaijan will owe its neighbors is a transit fee. Of course, customs documents will need to be processed in accordance with international and Armenian laws. There won't be any problems here, and Zurabyan doesn't have to worry. After the launch of the Zangezur corridor, other countries will be able to use it. Armenian customs officers and border guards can inspect transit cargo and passengers of third countries as much as they like. There are also no questions about trains leaving Azerbaijan or transiting through Azerbaijan from third countries to Armenia itself. This will be the full jurisdiction of the Armenian side. 

It seems that under the same conditions, Armenia will be able to use the Nakhchivan section of TRIPP if it needs to deliver goods and passengers by rail from the western to the eastern part of the country. Although there is a very important nuance here: the length of the Meghri section is only 40 kilometers, and the Nakhchivan section is almost 190 kilometers. However, with normal relations between neighboring countries and the existence of bilateral agreements, all issues can be resolved.

Last week, representatives of Azerbaijan and Armenia jointly inspected the condition of the railway infrastructure on the Sadarak-Yeraskh section. The purpose of the inspection was to assess the technical suitability of this section of the track for the movement of special railway construction equipment. Within the framework of the TRIPP project, it is planned to restore this road, which in Soviet times reached Yerevan. Yes, in Soviet times it was possible to travel by train from Baku to Yerevan via Nakhchivan.

The Zangezur corridor, which is rejected by Iran, is fully supported by Turkiye, which is also an irritating factor for the Armenian opposition.

At a press conference in Istanbul on Friday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that his country is interested in implementing the Zangezur Corridor project in a format fully consistent with Azerbaijan's position. He stressed that Turkey and Azerbaijan are considering the TRIPP project in the context of the Zangezur Corridor. According to him, the TRIPP document, adopted in Washington on January 13, was analyzed in detail by the Turkish side and discussed for almost two hours with Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov.

The Turkish Foreign Minister also expressed support for Nikol Pashinyan's constructive role in the peace process and hinted at the support of the prime minister from the Armenian public opinion.

The latter was terribly disliked by the Armenian opposition, which saw in these words Pashinyan's pre-election PR, which means interference in the internal affairs of Armenia. Speaker of the Armenian Parliament Alain Simonyan denied the claims of revanchists that Fidan allegedly declared his support for Nikol Pashinyan in the 2026 elections. "No such thing was said," Simonyan told reporters. According to him, the Turkish minister only noted the support for the process being implemented by the current Armenian government. And he thanked Fidan for supporting "the call of the majority of Armenian society for peace and the development of trade, including trade within the framework of the TRIPP initiative."

After the terms of the deal on the road through Meghri were made public, not only the Armenian opposition began to squirm. Long-time Armenian lobbyist Konstantin Zatulin also decided to contribute his five kopecks. The deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs said that Pashinyan is trying to draw Russia into the "Trump route" only to deflect criticism from himself, and not for the sake of Russia's interests. "Armenia wants to turn the tables on Russia, it is not interested in Moscow's interests," Zatulin told one of the Russian Telegram channels. At the same time, the lobbyist compared the current situation with that of the Russian peacekeepers, who "were first invited to Karabakh, and then actually ignored their presence."

Due to his own mindset, Zatulin sees sophisticated and insidious anti-Russian plots everywhere. At the same time, the restoration of railways in Armenia is a direct obligation of Russia, which has been concessionary management of this infrastructure for decades. The Hrazdan-Dilijan-Ijevan-Gazakh road, as well as the railway section to the border with Turkiye, are an integral part of the Armenian railway network. This explains Nikol Pashinyan's appeal to Moscow, and not to Burkina Faso. The TRIPP project only provides for communication through Megri. The Americans are not going to expand to the entire territory of Armenia, they only need this strategic area. At least because the Middle Corridor can be built through Armenia only along this route. No conspiracy theory. Zatulin should not look for a black cat in a dark room. She's definitely not there.

By the way, Pashinyan pointed out that if Russia does not have the opportunity to start rebuilding these roads as soon as possible, Armenia will withdraw these sections from the concession management of the Southern Railways and restore them itself.

It would be more reasonable for the Russian side to fulfill its concession obligations rather than assume the position that Konstantin Zatulin suggests.

Whether these roads will work before the signing of peace and the appearance of the Zangezur Corridor or not is not Moscow's concern. The railway crossing in Gazakh will not open until the crossing in Agband is operational. And the transition to Agband is unlikely to work before peace is signed and diplomatic relations are established. This is clear to everyone, including the Armenian side. As political analyst Armen Baghdasaryan told reporters, the TRIPP project is not part of the peace process, but reflects its possible outcome. The project, he believes, will succeed only if, firstly, peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan is institutionalized, and, secondly, Armenian-Turkish relations are fully normalized. If this is not the case, the project will not be implemented.

Well, don't be so gloomy. The corridor, most likely, will not work until the signing of the peace. However, this does not mean that Armenia should not start work on its territory. It will also benefit her if the entire infrastructure is ready by the time the peace is signed. Azerbaijan is already completing communications in Eastern Zangezur, and now modernization and construction on the Nakhchivan railway are beginning. We need to look ahead and see the future. If the Azerbaijani side invests money in this project, then it will definitely be there. No matter who tried to interfere with him.