US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that in the year since Armenia and Azerbaijan signed a joint declaration in Washington, significant progress has been made in implementing the agreements, including the creation of the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP).

According to Rubio, a year ago US President Donald Trump hosted Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan at the White House, witnessing the signing of a document that, the secretary of state noted, put an end to decades of conflict in the South Caucasus and laid the foundation for a new transport project.

“Over the past twelve months, the United States has worked side-by-side with Armenia and Azerbaijan to turn that promise into progress,” Rubio said in the statement.

He noted that TRIPP, which envisions the modernization of railway, road, energy, and digital infrastructure, is gradually becoming a reality. In Armenia, engineering surveys have already begun for the railway section, while Azerbaijan is close to completing the construction of the road and railway that are to connect with Armenian infrastructure.

Rubio also announced the launch of the Trans-Caspian Enterprise Fund, created to stimulate private investment in the countries of the South Caucasus and Central Asia. The fund is headed by a recently elected board of directors, and its capitalization amounts to $201 million from US government funds.

“Peace has opened the door to enhanced relationships between the United States, Armenia, and Azerbaijan that will add to the economic prosperity of all three countries,” the secretary of state said.

According to him, TRIPP is not only an infrastructure project but also an important link in the Trans-Caspian Trade Route (the Middle Corridor), capable of expanding commercial opportunities for the United States and other countries.

“Peace and prosperity reinforce one another,” Rubio stressed, calling economic cooperation a model for consolidating peace after the resolution of protracted conflicts.

The secretary of state assured that Washington intends to continue working with Yerevan and Baku to strengthen the agreements reached and advance toward “durable and lasting peace” in the South Caucasus.