Armenia says third-party partners likely needed for TRIPP implementation

Armenia will likely require third-party partners during the implementation of the TRIPP project, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said on Friday, as work continues with the United States despite challenging global conditions.

Speaking at a joint press conference in Yerevan with Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, Mirzoyan said the initiative remains in its preparatory phase, with the sides currently negotiating an intergovernmental agreement.

“Work is still at the documentation stage. In essence, we are in the process of agreeing on an interstate treaty,” he said.

Mirzoyan expressed hope that the project would soon advance to the construction phase, at which point additional partners would likely be involved.

“This is where the need for third-party partners will arise,” he said. “Although the agreement and the project are bilateral between Armenia and the United States, we will likely need partners during the construction phase, and possibly at the stage of system management as well.”

He added that while formally a bilateral initiative, the project serves the interests of a wide range of countries, “from China to Portugal”, as well as Armenia’s neighboring states.