Latest news with #TrumpRouteforInternationalPeaceandProsperity
JAMnews
a day ago
- Politics
- JAMnews
‘No third-party control' – Armenian foreign minister on the 'Trump Route' programme
Armenian foreign minister on the Washington declaration 'The operation of infrastructure – including that to be built in Armenia under the US partnership – will take place within the territorial integrity, sovereignty and jurisdiction of the countries involved, and will ensure mutual benefit. Whatever the technical solutions, still to be discussed, they cannot go beyond these principles,' Armenian foreign minister Ararat Mirzoyan said, speaking about the 'Trump Route' programme. The Trump Route (Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity – TRIPP) is a planned road linking mainland Azerbaijan with its exclave Nakhchivan. Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed to reopen it with the participation of an Armenian–US consortium. Mirzoyan stressed that the Washington declaration does not envisage any third-party control over the road. He was responding to the Armenian parliamentary opposition and some experts who use the term 'corridor', amid claims that Armenia had supposedly agreed to grant Azerbaijan an extraterritorial road. 'With the persistence of a mule, some 'independent experts' or 'dependent party figures' keep spreading terms that have always been unacceptable to Yerevan and are absent from the Washington declaration,' he said. In an interview with Armenpress, Mirzoyan said such interpretations were 'either a product of their imagination or an attempt to mislead people'. Details – what the declaration says, and Mirzoyan's comments. The provisions of the declaration on the 'reciprocity' of benefits in reopening transport links The Washington declaration, signed on 8 August following the Trump–Pashinyan–Aliyev meeting, contains seven points. It covers: the initialling of a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan the affirmation of the inviolability of international borders the inadmissibility of using force to seize territory the rejection of any acts of retaliation now or in the future the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group and related structures On the 'Trump Route' programme, the declaration states: 'Armenia will work with the United States and mutually agreed third parties to define the framework for implementing the programme on Armenian territory.' After the signing, Armenia's prime minister told reporters that the US intends to be the main investor in the Trump Route, but that Armenia is also ready to work with third parties, including other investors. Pashinyan thanked the US president for showing flexibility on the issue. 'Our goal is for this project to bring involvement, and to attract other partners wherever possible, rather than creating tension or confrontation. No one should think that the Trump Route project is aimed against them, because it truly is not,' he said. The declaration says the sides confirmed the importance of reopening transport links between the two countries for domestic, bilateral and international traffic, while stressing respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and jurisdiction of states: 'These efforts will include unimpeded communications between the main part of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic through the territory of the Republic of Armenia, with mutual benefits for Armenia from international and domestic communications.' At the press conference following the Washington meeting, journalists asked the prime minister whether this reference to mutual benefits also meant unimpeded communications for Armenia. '[The document] sets out one benefit, and says that Armenia should have the same benefit. Reciprocity means that if roads are opened for Azerbaijan, they are opened for Armenia too. If they are not opened for Azerbaijan, they are not opened for Armenia either. Although that option is no longer on the table now,' he replied. Armenia gains access to Azerbaijan's railway infrastructure Armenia's foreign minister said that with the agreement on reopening transport links, a 'very important and decisive' stage had been completed – talks on the general principles for operating the infrastructure. 'But this is only one stage. Now we face huge work to clarify and agree on more specific conditions and technical solutions,' he said. Ararat Mirzoyan stressed that, under the Washington declaration, a major development was taking place – Armenia's transport links are being reopened. 'This is what Armenia has been striving for over the past 35 years. From now on, Armenia gains access to, and can use, Azerbaijan's railway infrastructure for international trade. […] The agreements in the Washington declaration clearly carry even more weight thanks to the participation of the US side and the US president's signature as a witness.' Yerevan to begin talks on Trump Route details Foreign minister Ararat Mirzoyan said the US president had signed an order to set up a working group to implement the 'Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity' programme. 'In the near future, we expect high-level discussions in Yerevan on this issue. We should use this important moment to leave future generations a more connected South Caucasus,' he said. He described his visit to Washington as important also for advancing the Armenia–US strategic partnership agenda. Following bilateral talks, the two sides signed three memorandums: Memorandum on Armenia's 'Crossroads of Peace' regional reopening project: The US expressed support for the 'Crossroads of Peace' project, emphasising Armenia's role as a regional transport hub. It highlighted the need to ensure Armenia's infrastructure and border security, including with the participation of private investors. Memorandum on artificial intelligence and semiconductor innovation: Aimed at deepening cooperation in high-tech, with a focus on developing a semiconductor ecosystem and applying artificial intelligence. Memorandum on energy security: Intended to support Armenia's energy resilience and modernisation of its energy system, encourage private investment, and develop civilian nuclear power. According to Mirzoyan, there is an agreement with US secretary of state Marco Rubio to step up joint work on implementing the components of the strategic partnership. Initialling of peace treaty a 'historic event' The Armenian foreign minister called the initialling of the peace agreement at the White House a 'historic event.' 'It has become a major milestone in the process of resolving Armenian–Azerbaijani relations. The initialling and the subsequent public statements showed that peace – in the sense of no escalation on the border – has already been established. In essence, a stage of institutionalising peace is now beginning,' he said. Mirzoyan also addressed the text of the peace treaty itself, saying he was convinced that once it is published, 'with a rational approach, all speculation will stop from that moment.' Armenian foreign minister on the Washington declaration
Nahar Net
a day ago
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Iran tells Armenia Trump-backed land corridor may be part of US ploy
by Naharnet Newsdesk 11 August 2025, 18:47 Iran stepped up warnings to Armenia on Monday over a planned U.S.-backed corridor linking Azerbaijan to an exclave near the Iranian border, part of a recent peace deal between Yerevan and Baku. In a phone call with Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian "warned against possible actions by the United States, which could pursue hegemonic goals in the Caucasus region under the guise of economic investments and peace guarantees", according to a statement from Tehran. The land corridor dubbed the "Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity" is part of a deal signed last week in Washington between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Under the deal, the United States will have the development rights of the proposed route, which would connect Azerbaijan to its Nakhichevan exclave, passing near the Iranian border. Iran has long opposed the planned transit route, also known as the Zangezur corridor, fearing it would cut the country off from Armenia and the rest of the Caucasus, and bring potentially hostile foreign forces to near its borders. Pezeshkian said Iran "welcomes any agreement that promotes the strengthening of peace" among its neighbors, but emphasized the need to prevent the "interference of any military or security force" in implementing the corridor project, according to the statement from his office. Armenia's deputy foreign minister is due in Tehran on Tuesday for talks on the issue, Tehran has said. On Saturday, a senior advisor to Iran's supreme leader said Tehran will not allow the creation of the planned corridor, warning that the area would become "a graveyard for Trump's mercenaries."
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Iran tells Armenia Trump-backed land corridor may be part of US ploy
Iran stepped up warnings to Armenia on Monday over a planned US-backed corridor linking Azerbaijan to an exclave near the Iranian border, part of a recent peace deal between Yerevan and Baku. President Donald Trump, center, shakes hands with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, right, and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev during a trilateral signing ceremony in the State Dining Room of the White House, Friday, Aug. 8, 2025, in Washington.(AP) In a phone call with Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian "warned against possible actions by the United States, which could pursue hegemonic goals in the Caucasus region under the guise of economic investments and peace guarantees", according to a statement from Tehran. The land corridor dubbed the "Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity" is part of a deal signed last week in Washington between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Under the deal, the United States will have the development rights of the proposed route, which would connect Azerbaijan to its Nakhichevan exclave, passing near the Iranian border. Iran has long opposed the planned transit route, also known as the Zangezur corridor, fearing it would cut the country off from Armenia and the rest of the Caucasus, and bring potentially hostile foreign forces to near its borders. Pezeshkian said Iran "welcomes any agreement that promotes the strengthening of peace" among its neighbours, but emphasised the need to prevent the "interference of any military or security force" in implementing the corridor project, according to the statement from his office. Armenia's deputy foreign minister is due in Tehran on Tuesday for talks on the issue, Tehran has said. On Saturday, a senior advisor to Iran's supreme leader said Tehran will not allow the creation of the planned corridor, warning that the area would become "a graveyard for Trump's mercenaries".
OC Media
a day ago
- Politics
- OC Media
‘A blow to Armenia's sovereignty': reactions to the signed declaration in Washington
Sign in or or Become a member to unlock the audio version of this article The Caucasus is changing — so are we. The future of journalism in the region is grim. Independent voices are under threat — and we're responding by building a newsroom powered by our readers. Join our community and help push back against the hardliners. Become a member Armenia's opposition has criticised the announcement made in Washington on 8 August, which included a plan to create a route connecting Azerbaijan and its exclave Nakhchivan through Armenian territory, with concerns over Armenia's sovereignty. The unprecedented meeting in Washington, which brought together Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, and US President Donald Trump, resulted in a joint seven-point declaration between the three leaders outlining what had been agreed upon. It also disclosed the US involvement in the unblocking of the route through Armenia, named the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP). While in Washington, the sides also initialed the peace treaty they agreed on in March. The document was published on Monday. The outcomes of the Washington meeting received a frosty reception from the Armenian opposition, which urged that the groups work together to prevent Pashinyan from holding on to his position of prime minister. The Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) called the outcome of the Washington meeting a 'blow to Armenia's sovereignty'. 'By its very nature, the anti-state statement has one objective — the reproduction of Armenia's ruling administration, which serves foreign interests at the expense of Armenia's rights, thereby turning Armenia into a stage for geopolitical power struggles', read the statement. Advertisement Ishkhan Saghatelyan, an ARF member and an MP from the opposition Armenia Alliance faction, noted that the documents signed in the US 'do not have final legal force'. 'By preventing Pashinyan's reproduction and not allowing the amendment of the constitution of the Republic of Armenia, we can avoid the impending disaster. Therefore, this must become the main agenda of the national forces in the near future', Saghatelyan wrote. Azerbaijan has demanded that Armenia change its constitution as part of the peace process between them, claiming that it contains territorial claims against it. In turn, another opposition MP, Tigran Abrahamyan from the I Have Honour faction, wrote on Facebook that 'geopolitical centres are solving their own issues, a new redistribution of roles is taking place in the region, while the Armenian authorities are merely waiting to understand what will be done with them'. The outcome was also criticised by Ara Abrahamyan, President of the Union of Armenians of Russia, who recently expressed his readiness to help unite Armenian opposition forces ahead of the 2026 parliamentary elections. In an interview with Russian state-run media TASS, Abrahamyan called the meeting a 'summit of two winners and one loser'. On Monday, the Pan-Armenian Diplomatic Council, which consists of Armenian former diplomats, criticised the TRIPP initiative, saying that it 'contains provisions that seriously endanger Armenia's strategic autonomy by placing vital infrastructure and transit routes under the influence of foreign actors'. Aside from the criticism, the deal was praised by the ruling party and its allies, as well as some other political forces in Armenia. Pashinyan's ally and head of pro-western Hanrapetutyun party, Aram Sargsyan, celebrated the US involvement in the deal, noting that 'no one will try to open the Syunik corridor by force anymore'. The statement is an apparent reference to the threat of Aliyev back in 2021 to establish a route by force. 'Therefore, there will be no more Armenian–Azerbaijani war, which I have always insisted on, and thank God', Sargsyan concluded. The deterrence of war was also highlighted by another opposition force. Yerevan's former mayor and a former ally of Pashinyan, Hayk Marutyan's New Force political party, insisted that 'at this moment it would be difficult to imagine a more favourable solution for us than what was achieved thanks to the participation of Western partners'. The party also highlighted that it prevented the possibility of another war 'at least in the medium term', and gave the opportunity to 'achieve economic development'.
Newsweek
a day ago
- Business
- Newsweek
Iran Threatens 'Graveyard' for Trump's New Peace Deal
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Iran has vowed to block the dividends of a U.S.-backed peace plan on its doorstep, threatening to turn the area into "a graveyard of the mercenaries of Donald Trump." The warning by a senior adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei came after the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan met at the White House last week to signed a peace treaty that granted America exclusive rights to development a strategic land route known as the "Zangezur corridor." Iran's Foreign Ministry officially welcomed the peace between its neighbors, but Ali Akbar Velayati told the semi-official Tasnim news agency that Tehran views the corridor—dubbed the "Trump Bridge"—as a serious threat to its national security, as it would connect Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan exclave through Armenian territory along Iran's northern border. The U.S. State Department and Iran's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to separately written requests for comment. Why It Matters The agreement, signed by Trump alongside Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia and President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, grants the United States a 99-year lease on the corridor, which the White House is calling the "Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity." The Trump Bridge will give American forces direct access to the border area just north of Iran's province of East Azerbaijan, raising security concerns in Tehran. The deal also raises the U.S.'s stake in the South Caucasus, a region long dominated by Russian influence. What To Know The corridor linking Azerbaijan to its Nakhchivan region runs through Armenia's southern province of Syunik, strengthening Azerbaijan's economic and strategic ties while shifts regional power away from Russia. The Kremlin's influence as a power broker has waned since Azerbaijani forces displaced tens of thousands of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023. Armenia's closer ties with Washington signal a major geopolitical realignment. Iran insists the corridor is unnecessary for trade, as Azerbaijan can access Nakhchivan through Iranian territory—the new route could erode Iran's economic leverage. Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, shakes hands with Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, at Novo-Ograyovo outside in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, July 12, 2018. Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, shakes hands with Ali Akbar Velayati, a senior adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, at Novo-Ograyovo outside in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, July 12, 2018. Alexei Druzhinin/AP Photo Velayati, Khamenei's adviser, warned that NATO members including Turkey were seeking a greater presence in the region, too. "NATO wants to lie between Iran and Russia like a viper, but Iran will not permit it." Tehran appears to view the Zangezur corridor as a NATO- and U.S.-backed attempt to establish military infrastructure on its northern border. Velayati said military exercises carried out in northwest Iran demonstrated the regime's determination to prevent any geopolitical changes. On Saturday, Russia cautiously welcomed the U.S.-brokered draft deal, emphasizing support for regional stability and dialogue. Velayati responded by saying Iran would act "with or without Russia" to protect its interests, warning that the corridor threatens to redraw borders and destabilize the region. U.S. Perspective Trump praised the agreement as "a major step toward ensuring peace and security in the region" that underscored America's commitment to "protecting our interests and allies along critical transit routes." U.S. officials said the corridor would boost economic development and foster regional connectivity, while opponents cautioned it could complicate diplomatic relations among neighboring countries. President Donald Trump, center, shakes hands with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, right, and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev during a trilateral signing ceremony in the State Dining Room of the White House, Friday, Aug. 8,... President Donald Trump, center, shakes hands with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, right, and Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev during a trilateral signing ceremony in the State Dining Room of the White House, Friday, Aug. 8, 2025, in Washington. More Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo What People Are Saying Ali Akbar Velayati, senior adviser to Iran's supreme leader: "Such a corridor will turn into a graveyard of the mercenaries of Donald Trump, not a route owned by the U.S. president. As a result, Iran has insisted that it will move in line with the security of the South Caucasus, with or without Russia. We believe that Russia is also strategically opposed to that corridor." Donald Trump, president of the United States: "Now they're friends, and they're going to be friends for a long time." What Happens Next Tensions may persist over the corridor and the U.S.'s growing presence in the South Caucuses, but the stakeholders likely will intensify their diplomatic efforts to address Iran's security concerns. On Monday, Armenian leader Pashinyan and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian spoke by phone to discuss the deal, according to Iran's official news agency IRNA.
