BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 22. The United States-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce (USACC) convened a high-level Ambassadorial Roundtable on the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), underscoring the initiative’s role as a central pillar of the United States’ renewed strategic engagement across Central Eurasia.
The closed-door discussion brought together ambassadors from the South Caucasus and Central Asia, senior U.S. government officials, and private-sector leaders to examine how TRIPP can accelerate infrastructure development, strengthen regional connectivity, and anchor a durable U.S. economic presence along the Middle Corridor.
“The August peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia and facilitated by this Administration, created a historic opening. TRIPP is how we make that peace durable—by transforming a transit route into an engine of shared prosperity,” said Vinay Chawla, Office Director and Special Envoy for Peace Missions at the U.S. Department of State. “American companies and capital are essential to that vision, and this Administration is committed to ensuring they have a seat at the table.”
Participants emphasized that TRIPP represents a new generation of regional connectivity initiatives, distinguished by its public–private structure, business-driven approach, and focus on long-term commercial sustainability.
Opening the session, Natig Bakhishov, Executive Director of USACC, highlighted that TRIPP moves beyond traditional transit concepts by integrating infrastructure investment, regulatory coordination, and private-sector participation within a unified strategic framework. He noted that TRIPP has emerged as a defining element of the United States’ renewed engagement in the South Caucasus and Central Asia, introducing market-based solutions to regional integration and connectivity for the first time in more than a decade.
Ambassadors and senior diplomats from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan shared national perspectives on how TRIPP can complement development strategies, unlock cross-border synergies, and enhance the competitiveness of regional transit routes.
“The August Summit played a historic role in advancing the regional peace process,” said Khazar Ibrahim, Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the United States. “The principles of connectivity and cooperation have long been promoted by Azerbaijan, which has already established strong partnerships with Türkiye, Georgia, and Central Asian countries, providing a solid foundation to build upon. This momentum is real, and we must move swiftly. Ensuring the success of TRIPP as a core component of the Middle Corridor is essential.”
“It is thanks to President Trump’s leadership that we have been able to generate this momentum for peace and position TRIPP as a key element of our regional strategy,” said Narek Mkrtchyan, Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia to the United States. He added, “U.S. engagement will help translate this initiative into tangible benefits for the South Caucasus, Central Asia, and beyond. I welcome the constructive engagement with our Azerbaijani colleagues and the fact that discussions are now advancing toward concrete development projects. This kind of practical cooperation is essential to delivering real economic and social outcomes.”
Discussions also addressed the role of U.S. institutions, including the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), in supporting project financing, trade facilitation, and investment risk mitigation.
Private-sector participants, including Google, Bechtel, and Tetra Tech, alongside regional trade associations, shared industry perspectives and highlighted growing interest among American companies in trade and investment opportunities enabled by TRIPP and related regional initiatives.
The roundtable concluded with a shared assessment that TRIPP offers a unique platform to align U.S. strategic priorities with regional economic integration, providing a scalable and commercially viable connectivity model for the South Caucasus and Central Asia. USACC reaffirmed its commitment to advancing dialogue among governments, U.S. agencies, and the private sector to support TRIPP’s successful implementation and long-term impact.
On August 8 in Washington, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, US President Donald Trump, and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint declaration. One of the points of the document provides for the launch of the “Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity” (TRIPP) to unblock regional communications.
During the same meeting, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov and Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan initialed the draft “Agreement on the Establishment of Peace and Interstate Relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia” and signed a joint letter to the current OSCE Chairperson regarding the closure of the OSCE Minsk process, the OSCE Chairperson’s personal representative for the conflict discussed at the Minsk Conference, and the High-Level Planning Group.
