Several questions around TRIPP remain open – Andranik Hovhannisyan

It is still too early to adopt final positions regarding the TRIPP project since it exists only on paper, international affairs expert Andranik Hovhannisyan said in an interview with Alpha News.

“Only once the road is operational will it be possible to have a real understanding of how security mechanisms will function and how the process of checking individuals and goods passing through the road will be organized,” Hovhannisyan said.

It should be noted that today Armenia’s Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan announced that, according to the document, the implementation of the TRIPP (“Trump’s Route”) project will follow a ‘front office–back office’ model. In this model, the ‘front office’ will be outsourced to a private company, while the ‘back office’ functions will be handled by Armenian state bodies. In other words, the data of foreigners and cargo passing through Armenia’s territory will be collected by a private company and then transferred to the Armenian side.

According to the expert, there are still unresolved issues within the process, including technical aspects.

“Azerbaijan continues to put forward new demands, while a number of important details are missing even in the signed documents and official statements,” Hovhannisyan added.