Work on Armenia’s “Crossroads of Peace” — TRIPP project is moving into a practical phase. According to Sargis Khandanyan, a member of parliament from the ruling Civil Contract party, a fund for financing the project has already been established in the United States, resources are being accumulated, and feasibility studies for railway construction are underway in Armenia.
At the same time, political analyst Suren Sargsyan argues that while the necessary political decisions are being made relatively quickly in Washington, several practical and geopolitical obstacles still stand in the way of implementation.
Funding Is Being Formed and Studies Are Underway
According to Khandanyan, a feasibility study is currently being conducted, after which Armenia is expected to move to the actual construction of the railway.
“I very much hope that we will proceed to the railway construction itself as quickly as possible,” Khandanyan said.
He added that there is also interest in accelerating the construction of electricity transmission lines.
The MP stressed that TRIPP is not simply a railway project. Other infrastructure is also expected to be developed within the initiative, significantly expanding its overall scope.
TRIPP Could Create New Gas Supply Options
Khandanyan also links TRIPP to Armenia’s efforts to diversify its energy supplies.
According to him, one of the infrastructure components could be a gas pipeline crossing Armenian territory.
“TRIPP also concerns a gas pipeline. In other words, a pipeline will pass through Armenia within the framework of TRIPP, and this may provide another opportunity for us to consider having an additional source of supply,” he said.
Khandanyan did not rule out increasing gas imports from Iran, noting that Armenia and Iran have discussed the issue.
He also said future gas imports from Azerbaijan should not be excluded.
“Various economic and energy relations have been discussed with Azerbaijan during this period. I do not know exactly how far we have progressed specifically on gas supplies, but it is not an excluded scenario,” he said.
The Government Sees No Political Obstacle
According to Khandanyan, the Iranian factor cannot prevent TRIPP from being implemented on Armenian territory.
He said Armenia has discussed the issue with its Iranian partners and that there is mutual understanding between the sides.
“I do not think tense Iran-U.S. relations can affect implementation of this project. Quite the opposite — implementation does not depend on that at all,” he said.
According to the MP, railway construction is already on the agenda, with feasibility and other technical parameters currently being studied.
“Once the studies and technical issues are completed, the actual construction phase will begin. I do not see a political obstacle here,” Khandanyan said.
Political analyst Suren Sargsyan, however, argues that this is precisely where a distinction must be made between political approval and actual implementation.
Political Support Exists, but Practical Problems Remain
According to Sargsyan, the Trump administration is advancing a project in the South Caucasus whose strategic importance for Washington goes far beyond restoring regional transportation links.
The broader objective is to connect Central Asia to Europe through the South Caucasus, develop the Middle Corridor and integrate Armenia into global supply chains.
For this reason, Sargsyan believes Washington is seeking to minimize the time between political decision-making and implementation.
He argues that the influence of U.S. bureaucracy has been significantly reduced in this process. Potential competition between the State Department and the National Security Council, as well as lengthy decision-making procedures, do not appear to be creating major obstacles in this particular case.
“Decisions, as far as I can see, are being made quite quickly — at least with regard to this project,” Sargsyan said.
The Railway Remains One of the Most Difficult Practical Issues
At the same time, Sargsyan stressed that rapid political decisions do not necessarily mean that construction will begin at the same pace.
He considers the railway component one of the principal practical challenges facing TRIPP.
Technical studies must first be completed, specific infrastructure solutions selected and the construction process organized.
In this respect, Khandanyan’s statement that the terrain, feasibility and technical parameters are still being studied indicates that the project remains in the pre-construction phase.
The Iran Factor Is the Second Major Risk
Unlike Khandanyan, Sargsyan views tensions between the United States and Iran as another significant risk.
“At this stage, the main factors obstructing the TRIPP project are the railway issue and tense Iran-U.S. relations,” he said.
According to the political analyst, TRIPP is one of the U.S. strategic projects located closest to the Iranian border.
For that reason, any escalation of regional tensions could affect the pace of its implementation.
Sargsyan believes this factor could create concerns for the U.S. side, particularly during the current period of tension, and could at minimum slow the project’s practical implementation.