On August 11, during a press conference at the APRI Armenia analytical center, expert Sergey Melkonyan presented a new report on regional connectivity and the TRIPP project. According to the expert, the project has more geopolitical than economic significance:
“We calculated how much money Armenia could earn if there were a complete unblocking of the South Caucasus, and what would change financially if only the TRIPP program were implemented for Armenia. For example, if only this program is implemented, the benefit for Armenia would be about $23 million per year, which is not much. However, if there is a complete unblocking of the South Caucasus, this figure would increase to about $388 million per year. Thus, the difference is about 16 times.
Melkonyan emphasized that TRIPP alone is not enough for diversifying Armenia's foreign policy. The country needs a railway connection to the Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf, which implies the opening of all communications:
“In this case, it is necessary to open other communications, particularly referring to the railway, which is not currently on the agenda. But even in the Washington agreement, there is a phrase about 'mutual benefit', which means that if TRIPP happens, other roads should also be opened. But we do not yet see any serious steps or political decisions in this direction,” Melkonyan said:
The expert expressed concern about a possible scenario in which only TRIPP would be implemented, while other roads would either remain closed or be opened in such a way that Azerbaijan could unilaterally close them at any moment:
“Focusing solely on TRIPP may legitimize a new format of blockade for Armenia, while there is infrastructure in the region that can be used right now, without waiting for the completion of new projects,” he concluded:
