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Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev said Wednesday that a proposed 42-kilometer (26.09 miles) transport corridor linking Azerbaijan's main territory with its Nakhchivan exclave will benefit the entire region, with the Trump administration backing the project under a new initiative called TRIPP (Trump's International Peace and Prosperity Route).
Speaking to Saudi Arabia-based Al Arabiya television in Baku, Aliyev explained that Azerbaijan's primary concern was ensuring security along the 40-kilometer route through Armenian territory.
"Our demand was to ensure security on this 40-kilometer route. The Trump administration received our concern with understanding, and the project called TRIPP (Trump's International Peace and Prosperity Route) emerged," Aliyev said.
The Azerbaijani president emphasized that, despite its military superiority following the 2020 Second Karabakh War, his country chose not to seize the corridor by force.
"At that time, the Armenian army had collapsed, but we just stopped at our border. We have been negotiating with Armenia on this issue for five years," he stated.
Aliyev noted that during the Soviet era, there were no problems with passage between Azerbaijan's main territory and Nakhchivan.
However, Armenia cut this connection when conflicts began.
"Today, Nakhchivan can only be reached by plane or through Iran. A longer route through Georgia and Türkiye is also possible, but this creates serious difficulties," Aliyev explained.
The president emphasized that the Zangezur Corridor would serve not just Azerbaijan but international transportation networks.
"Today, the Middle Corridor connects Asia to Europe through the Caspian, Georgia and Türkiye. The Zangezur Corridor will create an alternative. When this line opens, Armenia will also earn transit revenue," Aliyev said.
He added that U.S. investors could participate in the project, stating, "What matters to us is not who builds it, but that the road is built and secured."
During the five years Armenia has not opened the corridor, Azerbaijan developed an alternative route called the "Aras Corridor" through Iran, including new bridges and road investments, according to Aliyev.
The corridor will also contribute to north-south connectivity, the president noted.
"This route will be not only east-west but also a north-south corridor. Thus, two separate transportation lines will be created from Russia to Iran through Azerbaijan. The entire region will benefit from this line," he concluded.
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