BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 10. Implementation of the Trump Route for Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) aligns with the strategic interests of the countries of Central Asia, Tair Nigmanov, told Trend.
According to him, the road that will connect the main territory of Azerbaijan with Nakhchivan through Armenia is of particular interest to Central Asian countries as it creates additional transportation opportunities. This holds particular significance for Uzbekistan, he specified, as it is a landlocked nation that shares borders exclusively with other landlocked countries lacking access to oceans.
Nigmanov reminded that there are currently four main transit routes for goods in the region.
"In essence, there are four such routes. The first and most frequently used by Kazakhstan is through the territory of the Russian Federation. The alternatives are: through the Caspian Sea, the Caucasus, and Türkiye; through China; and the southern route towards Pakistan and India," he explained.
At the same time, the expert emphasized that the southern routes remain the most complex and underdeveloped.
"The most realistic option, aside from the Russian route, is the Caucasus direction via the Caspian," Nigmanov said.
He noted that only recently, after Azerbaijan lifted the embargo, Kazakh wheat finally reached Armenia.
"This was an important event last year because, despite Armenia's membership in the EAEU (Eurasian Economic Union), trade with it had long been seriously complicated due to purely geographical reasons," Nigmanov explained.
The expert believes that the normalization of relations between Baku and Yerevan, as well as the implementation of specific investment projects in the logistics sector, serve Kazakhstan's interests, as the country is constantly seeking markets for its agricultural products and sustainable import/export routes. For this reason, Nigmanov said, Kazakhstan supports the TRIPP project.
Nigmanov pointed out that Kazakhstan, like other countries in the region, follows a multivector foreign policy. He emphasized that the country's agenda is not only to maintain good relations with its neighbors but also to develop ties with all countries.
Nigmanov stressed that relations with the United States are of great importance to Kazakhstan.
"The U.S. is one of the main investors in our economy. Last year, there were two important visits of our head of state to the U.S. In September, it was for participation in the general debates at the United Nations General Assembly, which is an annual trip. Later, a month and a half after that, the president visited the U.S. again for participation in the 'Central Asia plus U.S.' summit," he said.
He pointed out that these visits bore fruit, leading to substantial agreements, including a whopping $4 billion investment deal from the American company Wabtec in Kazakhstan's railway sector.
The expert believes that building up logistics infrastructure and enhancing transportation connections are key for Kazakhstan's success.
"Of course, we view it positively when American investors make similar investments in other countries in the region. Logistics is a shared matter, and the development of railways or any other transportation infrastructure is beneficial for all. Kazakhstan, like other countries in the region, is interested in multilateral development and diversification of its economic ties. It is especially important for us to continue reducing dependence on oil and natural resources, including iron and metals. We are actively looking for opportunities to invest in the processing industry and logistics, and we will support projects that contribute to this," the expert concluded.
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%.