US Secretary of State Marco Rubioannounced, that after the signing of a joint declaration by Armenia and Azerbaijan in Washington, significant progress has been made in the implementation of agreements over the past year, including the creation of the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP).
According to Rubio, one year ago US President Donald Trump hosted Azeri President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the White House, attending the signing of the document which, as the Secretary of State noted, ended decades of conflict in the South Caucasus and laid the foundation for a new transportation project.
"Over the past 12 months, the United States has worked side by side with Armenia and Azerbaijan, turning this promise into real progress," Rubio's statement said.
He noted that TRIPP, which envisages the modernization of railway, automobile, energy and digital infrastructures, is gradually becoming a reality. In Armenia, the engineering studies of the railway sector have already started, while Azerbaijan is close to the completion of the construction of road and railway roads, which should connect to the Armenian infrastructure.
Rubio also announced the launch of the Trans-Caspian Enterprise Fund, which was created to promote private investment in the countries of the South Caucasus and Central Asia. The fund is managed by a recently elected board of directors, its capitalization was $201 million from the funds of the US government.
"Peace has opened the way for the strengthening of relations between the United States, Armenia and Azerbaijan, which will contribute to the economic prosperity of all three countries," stated the Secretary of State.
According to him, TRIPP is not only an infrastructure project, but also an important link of the Trans-Caspian trade route (Middle Corridor), which can expand trade opportunities for the US and other countries.
"Peace and prosperity mutually strengthen each other," Rubio emphasized, calling economic cooperation a model for strengthening peace after the settlement of protracted conflicts.
The Secretary of State assured that Washington intends to continue working with Yerevan and Baku in the direction of strengthening the agreements reached and promoting "stable and long-term peace" in the South Caucasus.
