BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 9. For Central Asia, the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) could serve as a safety net for Western capital in the implementation of infrastructure projects in the region, Khayotjon Ibragimov, head of the Center for Energy Diplomacy and Geopolitics at Uzbekistan's University of World Economy and Diplomacy told Trend.
According to Ibragimov, the visit of U.S. Vice President James David Vance to Baku is a clear signal that Washington is shifting from declarations to pragmatism in the Caspian region.
"TRIPP should not be seen merely as a logistics project but as a 'financial shield' for the Middle Corridor. For Central Asia, and specifically for Uzbekistan, this changes the rules of the game: the emergence of a route under American patronage, passing through Azerbaijan to Europe, acts as a safety net for Western capital. This reduces country risks and lowers costs for our infrastructure projects," he said.
Ibragimov pointed out that the bedrock of U.S. ties with Central Asian nations is rooted in energy and essential minerals.
"The U.S. aims to break China's monopoly on the supply chains of rare earth metals, and Central Asia is a key piece of the puzzle. We are seeing a shift to a new cooperation formula: 'Technology in exchange for resources. 'Uzbekistan, with its reserves of copper, uranium, and lithium, now has the chance to attract American deep-processing technologies, rather than just export raw materials," he said.
The expert pointed out that down the line, relationships will hinge on practical resource considerations.
"I expect a growth in investment in geological exploration and possibly in nuclear energy—the U.S. will actively promote its small modular reactors (SMRs) as an alternative to competitors. Through the link with Azerbaijan, we are finally gaining not only access to the sea but also access to advanced industrial technologies, which is critically important for our economic modernization," Ibragimov delineated.
On August 8, 2025, in Washington, with the participation of US President Donald Trump, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, and Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, a joint declaration was signed. One of the points of the document provides for the launch of the Zangezur corridor (“Trump Route” or TRIPP) to unblock regional communications. In addition, the foreign ministers of Azerbaijan and Armenia initialed an agreement on peace and interstate relations.
In January 2026, the Armenian Foreign Ministry published the agreement signed between Armenia and the U.S. on the implementation of the TRIPP project. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met in Washington and presented a framework program for the implementation of the TRIPP project. The published document was assessed as a new step towards fulfilling the commitments made at the White House on August 8, 2025, to support the establishment of a sustainable peace in the South Caucasus.
The joint statement of Mirzoyan and Rubio said that Armenia intends to approve and support the establishment of the TRIPP Development Company, which will be responsible for the development of the TRIPP project. The company will be granted the right to implement the project for an initial period of 49 years. Yerevan plans to offer Washington 74% of the shares of TRIPP Development Company while retaining 26%.
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