Changing Formats in the South Caucasus

The past week, along with other most important events, was marked by the meeting between President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Bishkek. It became the first in-person contact between the leaders after the parliamentary elections in Armenia.

The meeting lasted over an hour and was held in an extended format, with the range of topics discussed covering all key issues of the peace agenda. The composition of participants also indicated that the negotiations were substantive and working in nature.

Prospects in the economy

Perhaps the most interesting part of the meeting was the discussion of prospects for cooperation in the economic sphere, writes the newspaper "Caspiy". As is known, over the past year, deliveries of Azerbaijani goods to Armenia have been consistently established, as well as the transit of grain and other goods through Azerbaijan. Now the question of supplying Armenian products to Azerbaijan is also being raised. Moreover, the head of the Armenian Foreign Ministry directly told journalists that in the very near future, Azerbaijani companies will begin purchasing Armenian goods, and Armenia will start supplying its products to Azerbaijan.

All these processes were described in the joint statement as a practical manifestation of "peace dividends." And this is perhaps indeed the most accurate reflection of what is happening. The peace agreement has not yet been signed, but in parallel, trade and transit ties are already being formed, energy cooperation is being discussed, and new transport projects are emerging. For both sides, this has quite practical significance. Armenia thus gains access to new routes and transit opportunities, while Azerbaijan is actively implementing a new system of regional communications.

Barometer of the peace agenda

One of its key elements should be TRIPP, which was also discussed in detail in Bishkek. Over the past months, the project has made notable progress. In January, the United States and Armenia agreed on a mechanism for its implementation, and in June they agreed on the creation of the TRIPP Development Company, 74% of which will belong to the American side and 26% to Armenia. In parallel, the American company AECOM has already begun the technical survey of the future route.

The timelines for the start of construction are gradually being determined. Presumably, work on the Armenian section should begin at the end of this year or the beginning of next year, while construction of the corresponding infrastructure on Azerbaijani territory is already underway, including in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.

Therefore, in Bishkek, the discussion was already about further practical steps for the implementation of TRIPP and