American agenda in South Caucasus has two priorities: TRIPP project and increasing pressure on Iran - expert

ArmInfo. The American agenda in the South Caucasus has two main priorities: implementing the TRIPP project (the "Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity") and increasing pressure on Iran. This was stated by Americanist Suren Sargsyan, speaking about the upcoming visit of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Yerevan.

Speaking about the specifics of Rubio's visit, he noted that, firstly, this will be the Secretary of State's first visit to Armenia since Hillary Clinton's visit in 2014.

"This will likely be a short, transit visit, 'without an overnight stay.' The Secretary of State is returning from India and, following the example of Donald Rumsfeld's visit in 1999, will spend a few hours in Yerevan.  Back then, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld met with Defense Minister Serzh Sargsyan and then- President Robert Kocharyan at the presidential palace and was satisfied with both talks," the expert remembered in his Facebook post.

In this vein, Sargsyan stated that Rubio will meet with his Armenian counterpart at the airport for 30 minutes, then sign a memorandum of understanding, and then possibly meet with the prime minister at the government office. If such a meeting does not take place, it will undoubtedly be a significant circumstance.

"The American agenda in the South Caucasus has two main priorities: implementing the TRIPP project and increasing pressure on Iran. Incidentally, TRIPP is also considered in the context of policy toward Iran. The absence of Rubio's visit to Baku, in my view, is no coincidence. TRIPP passes through Armenia and is, first and foremost, an Armenian-American project. Azerbaijan's position on both TRIPP and Iran is well known to the Americans, so there's virtually no need for further clarification. Therefore, I believe the main focus of the negotiations can be on developments around Iran and the future of TRIPP," the Americanist asserted.

Sarkissian added that many are undoubtedly also interested in the question of whether Rubio will directly support the current government before the elections. "I think it's possible, but one of the busiest people in the world certainly wouldn't visit Yerevan for that purpose alone. Another question is whether the government will use the visit for PR purposes, even if Rubio doesn't make any public statements. On a more global scale, the United States in Armenia will naturally support any force that advances American interests in the South Caucasus, regardless of who that force is.

"I hope that the Armenian authorities will not interfere in any anti-Iranian adventures, because even the Trump administration, having intervened, was unable to find an 'exit strategy' for this situation," the expert concluded.

On January 14, the Armenian Foreign Ministry published a framework document signed with the American side in Washington on the implementation of the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP). The 12-page document outlines the project's main objectives and operating mechanisms.

Among other things, the document emphasizes that Armenia intends to sanction and support the creation of the TRIPP Development Company. The company is expected to be responsible for the development of the TRIPP project, receiving an initial development right for a period of 49 years. Armenia intends to offer the United States a 74% stake in TRIPP Development Company, retaining 26%. This partnership is expected to be extended for another 50 years, with an additional ownership stake granted to the Armenian government, bringing its stake to 49%.

As a reminder, On August 8, 2025, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a seven-point joint "Declaration of Peace" in Washington. It calls for a joint appeal to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) to terminate the OSCE Minsk Process and related structures, as well as the creation of a transport corridor through Armenian territory connecting Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave, surrounded by Armenia, Turkey, and Iran.