Armenia ratifies TRIPP as critics spread antisemitic claims — Jerusalem Post
On October 28, Armenia’s parliament ratified the agreement on the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), a US-backed transport project intended to connect Azerbaijan’s main territory with its Nakhchivan exclave through southern Armenia near the border with Iran. Sixty-three lawmakers voted in favor of the agreement and 32 against. As the Jerusalem Post reports, some Armenian opposition commentators and pro-Russian politicians spread claims about alleged hidden Jewish or Israeli control over the project.
On November 5, the Armenian government proposed holding an extraordinary parliamentary session on November 12. It plans to consider legislation to establish a joint Armenian-American company responsible for implementing the project.
Critics’ statements
Former Armenian Prime Minister Khosrov Harutyunyan called TRIPP a “Jewish project” in an interview with 168TV. He claimed that the renaming of the Zangezur Corridor allegedly does not change its essence and that the initiative’s real goal is to establish foreign economic and subsequently military influence over Syunik Province.
Political analyst Artur Khachikyan also claimed that the project is allegedly backed by people connected to the Israeli lobby and the entourage of US President Donald Trump. He linked the initiative to Jared Kushner and suggested that control over the Meghri area could pass to interests connected with Israel and Azerbaijan. The published text of the agreement does not confirm these claims.
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Terms of the agreement and relations with Moscow
The agreement provides that the US side will hold a 74% stake in the project development company registered in Armenia, while the Armenian side will hold 26%. The US shareholder must be wholly owned by the US International Development Finance Corporation, a government agency. The company will have broad commercial powers, including in selecting contractors and operators, but the document separately recognizes Armenia’s sovereignty and jurisdiction over the project territory.
Critics also referred to defense ties between Israel and Azerbaijan. Israel’s Elbit Systems confirmed a $235 million contract without naming the customer, although Israeli media identified Azerbaijan. The article stresses that this defense connection is not evidence of claims about hidden control over TRIPP.
Amid the discussion, tensions intensified in Yerevan’s relations with Moscow. On November 4, the Russian Federation, an aggressor state, proposed limiting Armenia’s voting and appointment rights in the Collective Security Treaty Organization, citing unpaid contributions. Armenia suspended its participation in the CSTO in 2024, and Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that the country’s interests in the organization had been exhausted.
