Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan says that the next phase of border delimitation between Armenia and Azerbaijan could take place ahead of schedule in the area designated for the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), as infrastructure projects linked to the initiative move forward.

“We have not yet reached an agreement on the timetable for the next phase of work, but I think we will do so soon. We will discuss it and come to an agreement,” he told reporters at the National Assembly on November 2, commenting on the lack of updates on the border delimitation process for an extended period.

“I think it is highly likely that some delimitation work related to TRIPP infrastructure will be carried out ahead of schedule, so that the work can be properly organised and implemented. We want to launch design work on power transmission lines, a highway and a railway without waiting for TRIPP to be established, as these projects will eventually be handed over to TRIPP. All three infrastructure projects are to be built in Syunik. The design work has already begun. We are now examining the proposed layouts to identify the optimal option. We need to find the most optimal solution to ensure that the investment is efficient and, secondly, that the infrastructure is competitive in the region. Anything can be built, but it must be designed in such a way that it can compete in international logistics,” he said.

Asked to clarify whether this meant that the next phase of border delimitation was highly likely to take place in practice along the TRIPP section, the Deputy Prime Minister answered in the affirmative: “I think the likelihood is high, because we need to move quickly with TRIPP.”

He agreed that the delimitation process had slowed down, adding: “At the same time, we have procedures in place and a legal framework. The work now needs to be more technical and topographical in nature, rather than involving the complex legal processes that, thank God, we have already completed.”