U.S.: Armenia to retain control over TRIPP

PanARMENIAN.Net - The U.S. State Department has said that all border security and customs procedures on the TRIPP transit route will remain under Armenia's control, responding to questions about the possible application of Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) regulations to the project, RFE/RL reported.

The clarification follows recent remarks by Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Mnatsakan Safaryan, who said the TRIPP corridor linking Azerbaijan with Nakhchivan through Armenia's Syunik Province would operate in accordance with EAEU transit rules.

RFE/RL asked whether Washington had agreed to place the transit route under the EAEU regulatory framework and whether customs transit procedures within TRIPP would be governed by EAEU rules as part of an understanding between Armenia and the United States.

In response, the State Department said: “TRIPP preserves Armenia's sovereignty, territorial integrity and jurisdiction. All border security and customs functions remain under Armenia's control, with Armenian authorities carrying out oversight and making all key decisions.”

Earlier, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said it was possible that direct interaction with users of the route could be delegated to a third-country operator. According to him, such an operator could collect the documents required for inspections and process transit payments.

The State Department did not answer questions on whether the United States plans changes to the current regulatory framework or supports introducing a separate set of transit rules for TRIPP.

Asked whether the issue had been discussed with Armenia and Azerbaijan, the department said only that Washington continues to work with the Azerbaijani government on priorities outlined in the Strategic Partnership document, including regional connectivity, economic investment, energy, security cooperation and artificial intelligence.

The U.S. administration also declined to disclose how much funding has been allocated to the TRIPP project, saying it could not provide additional details at this stage.

Earlier, Deputy Foreign Minister Mnatsakan Safaryan said Armenia remains a member of the Eurasian Economic Union, meaning transit operations under the TRIPP project would follow existing EAEU rules. He added that Armenia's customs authorities implement EAEU customs regulations and that no issues with Russia had arisen on the matter so far.