The United States senior officials from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and the five Central Asian states together in New York on September 23 for a conference focused on the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) and the wider Trans-Caspian trade route.

The event, titled “Prosperity Through Peace: Investing in the Trans-Caspian Trade Route and TRIPP,” was organised by the US government on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov took part in a panel with US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Brendan Hanrahan, while US Special Envoy for Peace Missions Steve Witkoff also participated. More than 40 companies were represented at the event.

The meeting focused on turning the August 2025 Armenia-Azerbaijan peace framework into transport and investment projects. Mirzoyan linked the project to the August 8, 2025, Washington summit between Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, TRIPP as an important element of regional connectivity. He also pointed to progress in Armenia-US relations and the economic benefits associated with the peace process. On its end, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Bayramov the transport and economic potential of TRIPP, including possible regional energy links. Bayramov referred to Azerbaijan’s investments in the Port of Baku and the Alat Free Economic Zone and called for greater coordination among regional partners. Georgian Deputy Foreign Minister Lasha Darsalia also took part in the event, the development of regional transport routes with opportunities for trade, transit and investment.

The wider Trans-Caspian route links Central Asia with the South Caucasus and European markets across the Caspian Sea. The European Union has separately announced plans to mobilise up to €12 billion in public and private investment for the route, with the aim of increasing trade flows and reducing transit times by 2030.

Washington is now financial and corporate structures to support TRIPP. The United States and Armenia are creating a joint TRIPP Development Company, with Washington expected to hold a majority stake, while a separate Trans-Caspian Enterprise Fund is to attract private investment into connectivity projects.

Witkoff further emphasized the political agreement that underpins the project, Pashinyan and Aliyev with choosing negotiations after decades of conflict and highlighting the role of US engagement in bringing the two sides together. He emphasized the commercial potential of TRIPP, including shorter transport routes and improved access to markets.

TRIPP implementation is still at an early stage. Feasibility and engineering studies for the Armenian section are underway, while legal and financing arrangements remain to be completed. US officials expect investment opportunities to begin taking shape by the end of 2026 or early 2027. Construction of the railway would follow the feasibility work and is expected to take at least 18 months.

The New York meeting brought the diplomatic and economic sides of the project into the same discussion, with Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia presenting their strategic roles in a regional transport network designed to connect Central Asia with European markets.