Kocharian on the Interests of the 'TRIP' Project

During a press conference, Armenia's second president Robert Kocharian stated that the 'TRIP' is an Armenian-American project meant for Azerbaijan and Turkey, and Armenian interests are not reflected within it at all. He mentioned that Armenia is not even a supporter of the project but rather a semi-side.

Kocharian indicated that the program could only extricate Armenia from the point of conflict if it expands, includes all players as stakeholders, and particularly if countries like China or Russia join the initiative. “TRIP must grow; there could be two 'TRIP's: 'TRIP' 1 in the Meghri area and 'TRIP' 2 in the Nakhchivan area,” he said, adding that organizationally it might come together more easily, although the content and regulations would remain the same.

Kocharian emphasized that it should not happen that an Armenian-American project turns into a program intended for Azerbaijan and Turkey. He remarked that it is evident the United States will try to promote this project, but he sees no economic benefit for the U.S.

He highlighted that the total volume of U.S. foreign trade with Armenia and Azerbaijan accounts for approximately 0.004 percent of the total U.S. external trade. According to Kocharian, the United States has almost no economic interests in the South Caucasus, and this interest, in his view, is related to Iran and the issue of controlling the Iranian border. He added that he sees no other explanation and stressed that this project places Armenia at the intersection of major geopolitical interests.