Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President İlham Aliyev met on the sidelines of the 9th European Political Community Summit in Dublin, Ireland, on Nov. 12, discussing practical steps to consolidate peace between the two countries, including the development of transport links and transit connectivity.
The meeting came as a U.S.-backed infrastructure project in the South Caucasus, known as the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), moves towards its implementation phase.
Armenia, Azerbaijan and the United States agreed to establish the project during a summit in Washington in August 2025.
The planned multi-use infrastructure route is intended to connect mainland Azerbaijan to its exclave of Nakhichevan through Armenian territory, providing Baku with a direct link to the exclave and onward access to Türkiye, a close ally of Azerbaijan.
The 43-kilometer route, also known as the Zangezur Corridor, is planned to run through southern Armenia and include transport links and energy infrastructure, including electricity transmission and pipelines.
Construction is expected to begin in 2027.
As part of efforts to advance the project, the United States, Armenia and Azerbaijan have also agreed to establish a series of trilateral meetings, with initial discussions expected to focus on transport connectivity and electricity transmission.
Armenia’s parliament ratified a framework agreement with the United States on strategic cooperation concerning TRIPP in late October, marking another step towards the project’s implementation.
The Nov. 12 meeting between Pashinyan and Aliyev also addressed economic and trade ties, border delimitation and confidence-building measures, according to statements released by both governments.
“The discussions focused on practical steps towards further consolidating peace between the two countries, including the development of transport and transit connectivity, economic and trade relations, border delimitation, and the implementation of confidence-building measures,” the Armenian prime minister’s office said in a statement.
The two leaders also welcomed progress in cargo transit between their countries, noting that 105,000 tons of goods had been transported to Armenia through Azerbaijan since November 2025, when Baku lifted its restrictions on cargo transfers following the Washington summit.
The sides also exchanged views on prospects for expanding bilateral economic and trade relations, including the planned interconnection of their electricity grids.
