“Nothing can prevent a new conflict, but countries that are interdependent and trade with each other are less likely to enter into conflict,” said Arye Lightstone, a senior advisor to U.S. Special Envoy for Peace Missions Steve Witkoff, in an interview with Civilnet.
Lightstone stated that the U.S. believes that the “Trump's Path,” which connects Nakhchivan to Azerbaijan through Syunik, could strengthen peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan.
“What we are creating here with Armenia and Azerbaijan is an opportunity to connect not only Azerbaijan and Armenia but the entire region. We are living in very complex times in this region and elsewhere, where the ability to move goods and resources safely, securely, and consistently is perhaps one of the primary requirements of every country,” the U.S. official said.
In response to a media question about whether the military conflict between the U.S. and Iran poses security challenges for the “Trump's Path” and Armenia, the U.S. official stated that the U.S. will not do anything that jeopardizes Armenia's security.
“This is an infrastructure project. There will be a railway, there will be a road, pipelines, power lines. And when that happens, people will discover that it will lead to greater prosperity, more energy, and greater security,” Lightstone said.
The Armenian government last month approved a draft law on the ratification of the framework agreement on strategic cooperation between Armenia and the United States regarding TRIPP.
The Constitutional Court of Armenia will discuss the compliance of the TRIPP agreement with the Constitution in September.
