Oskanian warns TRIPP undermines Armenia’s sovereignty

(Horizon Weekly) – Former Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian has issued a sharp critique of the proposed TRIPP corridor, arguing that the newly published document confirms his long-standing warnings about granting Azerbaijan unimpeded access through Armenia’s sovereign territory.

In a public statement, Oskanian said the document should be examined in the context of the bilateral and trilateral agreements signed on August 8, which he claims effectively commit Armenia to providing Azerbaijan with uninterrupted communication to Nakhichevan under the framework of the TRIPP project. While presented as part of a broader regional unblocking initiative, Oskanian argued that the practical purpose of TRIPP is to establish a corridor primarily serving Azerbaijani interests.

Oskanian described the proposal as a serious infringement on Armenia’s sovereignty, noting that the TRIPP corridor would pass through a strategically significant region of the country and be placed under the administration of a third country for 46 years. He expressed particular concern that Armenia would retain only a 26 percent stake in the TRIPP Development Company within the framework of the project.

Calling the figure an “index of humiliation,” the former foreign minister said such terms reflect a profound failure in negotiations. He questioned whether Armenian negotiators actively sought improved conditions or simply accepted the proposal as presented, warning that portraying the outcome as a diplomatic success masks deeper structural weaknesses in Armenia’s negotiating position.

Oskanian also argued that the TRIPP corridor offers no meaningful benefits to Armenia. In his assessment, the primary beneficiaries are Azerbaijan and Turkey, while Armenia bears the political and strategic costs. He added that even Armenia’s international partners, including the United States, would gain little from the arrangement.

Reiterating his long-held position, Oskanian maintained that given the absence of Nagorno-Karabakh and the Lachin Corridor, the issue of establishing the TRIPP corridor should never have been placed on the negotiating agenda.