A method must be found to make Iran — Armenia’s big neighbor — a participant in the “Trump Route” project, said Robert Kocharyan, the second President of Armenia, during his press conference Tuesday.

Kocharyan called for this matter to be viewed from the perspective of the risks it poses to Armenia, especially if the Julfa railway is not reopened and if Iran gains nothing from it. He explained that the most interesting projects are those from which all neighboring countries benefit.

“Should Iran gain something from this [project], or not? And what does Iran gain from this project at the moment? I don’t think that if the ‘Trump Route’ doesn’t operate — taking Armenia’s interests into account — we’re facing a catastrophe. It’s not operating now either, and I don’t think we are in a catastrophic situation,” Kocharyan said.

He added that a potential disaster could arise depending on Iran’s reaction and what policy Tehran will pursue if an American company appears on the Armenian-Iranian border. In his assessment, this is indeed risky and poses a threat to the very existence of that border.

“Is a US-controlled border more preferable for Iran than a border controlled by Azerbaijan — or not?” the second president of Armenia asked.