russia Is Finally Losing Its Position in the South Caucasus

The Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) is finally depriving russia of its position as the main player in the South Caucasus. For at least 49 years, a joint Armenian-American management company  will be ensuring  the functioning of the project and communication between the recent enemies in the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Until recently, moscow positioned itself as the main and only communicator in the region.

Within the framework of TRIPP, it is planned to lay oil and gas pipelines, fiber-optic networks, and create railway and road infrastructure along the railway branch bordering Iran. According to the beneficiaries, the corridor will form an “important link” in the Trans-Caspian route, which runs through China, Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and on to Türkiye and European countries. According to Minister of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Ararat Mirzoyan, russia’s participation in the project was not even discussed by the American and Armenian sides.

At the same time, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan made an almost ultimatum-like appeal to JSC “russian railways”, which is currently the concessionaire of the Armenian railway, with a proposal to quickly restore the destroyed tracks to the borders of Azerbaijan and Türkiye. Otherwise, it will be done at Armenia’s expense and will raise questions about the advisability of russia’s presence in the region.