John E. Herbst hails TRIPP as Trump's key contribution to Baku-Yerevan peace

The most significant contribution of US President Donald Trump to normalizing relations between Baku and Yerevan was his work on the TRIPP transport corridor, long discussed by Azerbaijan and Armenia, John E. Herbst, Senior Director of the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center, said at the 1st Azerbaijan–United States Think Tank Forum held in Baku, Report informs.

According to Herbst, the Trump administration demonstrated political will to support lasting peace in the South Caucasus. "That's why he invited President Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to the White House in August. During that meeting, the sides reached several significant agreements, which I believe strengthened peace efforts between Baku and Yerevan. Perhaps the most important contribution of President Trump was his work on the transport corridor that Azerbaijan and Armenia have discussed for many years," he said.

Herbst noted that one of the most challenging issues had long been who would control the corridor. "If the US takes responsibility for its functioning, the question of extraterritoriality becomes secondary. This is a major contribution to peace in the South Caucasus," he added.

He emphasized that the corridor is not just a route but a mechanism capable of boosting trade and investment among Azerbaijan, Armenia, Türkiye, and Central Asian countries via the Middle Corridor, facilitating the access of regional goods to European markets.

"This, in my view, is the most important achievement of the Trump team not only in relations with Azerbaijan but also with Armenia and Türkiye," Herbst said. He also welcomed the positive and constructive attention of US leadership toward the South Caucasus, Azerbaijan, and Central Asia.