Turkey is an important element of the vision of US President Donald Trump’s TRIPP Route, US ambassador to Armenia Kristina Kvien said in an interview with CivilNet.

This will truly become an influential project if the railway segment that passes through Nakhchivan exclave of Azerbaijan returns via Armenia—through Shirak Province—Kars, Turkey and then wherever it goes from there, since Turkey has a fairly developed railway network, the American diplomat said.

The ambassador noted that the US is working directly with Turkey on this matter, and added that Armenia is also working with Turkey to take all necessary steps to implement this vision.

By creating a safe, secure route both in the north and the south, passing through Nakhchivan and then through Armenia—toward Gyumri city and Turkey’s Kars Province—a transit route will open that will connect the East with the West and vice versa, benefiting virtually all countries along the route. And Armenia will probably benefit more than others, because Armenia’s eastern and western borders have been closed for over 30 years, Ambassador Kvien added.

Presenting the US vision for TRIPP, the ambassador emphasized that it is a route that will help connect the East with the West, the West with the East, and ultimately Central Asia with Western Europe. According to her, the Caucasus has long been an obstacle to this route for various geopolitical reasons.

Alongside the development of TRIPP, the vision is that it will be developed together with the US through some kind of joint enterprise, whose establishment is currently in progress. Armenia will have a permanent seat at the negotiating table to contribute to its development and ensure that its territorial integrity, sovereignty, and jurisdiction are genuinely preserved. So, TRIPP provides very strong guarantees to Armenia that it will not face the problems that had raised concerns, added the US ambassador to Armenia.