Building peace through connectivity: how can the European Union support the TRIPP?

On 8 August 2025, Armenia and Azerbaijan reached a significant diplomatic milestone when US President Donald Trump hosted the leaders of both countries at the White House for the signing of a landmark joint declaration. This trilateral agreement represents an important step toward resolving the region’s most protracted conflict. At its core lies the TRIPP, a US-facilitated connectivity initiative designed to establish a 43-kilometre route through Armenian territory linking mainland Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave. If fully implemented the TRIPP project could help dismantle longstanding barriers to trade and mobility between Armenia and Azerbaijan and across the South Caucasus.

Since the signing of the TRIPP agreement the region has witnessed the first tangible signs of renewed transit cooperation. In November 2025, wheat shipments from Kazakhstan and Russia reached Armenia via Azerbaijan for the first time in nearly three decades, signalling the practical reopening of regional corridors. Azerbaijan is now preparing to deliver an initial batch of fuel to Armenia via Georgia. These early movements – modest in scale but symbolically significant – demonstrate that the commitments linked to TRIPP are beginning to translate into operational reality. For Armenia and Azerbaijan, they represent initial confidence-building steps; for external partners they offer an early indication that the regional environment is shifting from conflict management toward cautious re-engagement.

For the EU, the implications are far from straightforward. This development presents both opportunities and strategic dilemmas. As Washington reasserts its diplomatic role and Moscow’s and Tehran’s influence potentially wanes, Brussels must decide how to position itself in this changing context. This policy brief explores why the TRIPP matters for the EU, how the EU can best contribute its expertise, and what tools and measures it can mobilise to support the development of the TRIPP in alignment with its own strategic and economic interests.

The brief addresses these questions by presenting five actionable policy recommendations on how the EU can support the TRIPP as a transformative instrument for peacebuilding, economic integration and long term-stability in the South Caucasus. It is important to note that any meaningful EU engagement depends on the consent of the US, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Brussels can position itself as a supportive partner and intervene only where its involvement is explicitly welcomed by the parties.