Kamran Bokhari: TRIPP significantly enhancing Azerbaijan's geopolitical importance

The Trump Route (TRIPP) opens up opportunities for the United States to use the South Caucasus as a strategic platform for access to Central Asia, significantly enhancing Azerbaijan's geopolitical significance, Kamran Bokhari, senior director of the Eurasian Security & Prosperity Portfolio at the New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy, said at the 1st Azerbaijan-US Think Tank Forum, Report informs.

Bokhari noted that, amid global changes and the emergence of a new geostrategic architecture, the South Caucasus is experiencing a significant shift in the balance of power. He noted that Azerbaijan's victory in the 44-day war and the complete liberation of the occupied territories have created conditions for active diplomacy with Armenia, opening the possibility of finally ending the conflict.

"The region has the opportunity to transform itself from a conflict zone into a geoeconomic corridor. The key element here is the corridor passing through Armenia, connecting the main part of Azerbaijan with Nakhchivan and further on to Türkiye. This is a strategic point of the Trans-Caspian international transport route," the expert stated.

He emphasized that the meeting held in Washington on August 8, facilitated by the Donald Trump administration, was a turning point for the region: "The proposed Trump Route allows the US and the West to use the South Caucasus to build closer ties with Central Asia, which also strengthens Azerbaijan's geopolitical role."

The expert added that Azerbaijan, which shares borders with Russia and Iran, is gradually becoming a key link in ensuring regional security, transport, and energy connectivity.