Azerbaijan, Armenia discuss peace roadmap, regional links at Doha Forum

ISTANBUL / BAKU

Azerbaijan Presidential Advisor Hikmet Hajiyev and Secretary of the Armenian Security Council Armen Grigoryan discussed the peace process between the two countries on Saturday.

The two officials spoke at a panel titled "Armenia-Azerbaijan Lasting Peace: The Washington Agreement and a Joint Future," held as part of the 23rd Doha Forum in Qatar’s capital Doha.

In a post on US social media company X regarding the panel, Hajiyev said: "We discussed the steps taken in terms of implementing the Washington arrangements including the economic benefit of peace, connectivity, confidence building measures etc. I highlighted the strong intention of Azerbaijan to transform the region of South Caucasus into the zone of sustainable peace and prosperity."

According to reports in the Armenian press, Grigoryan said during the panel that they are working to strengthen trust between the governments and societies of Armenia and Azerbaijan, noting that a certain level of confidence has recently been established between the leaders and teams of the two countries.

Speaking on the International Route for Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), also known as the Zangezur Corridor, Grigoryan said the project could open new business opportunities for Armenia by channeling the movement of goods and services through its territory, lowering costs and drawing investment.

“At the Washington summit, the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan and the United States signed a document in which this route is called TRIPP. We are referring to this term. And we are confident that TRIPP will open up great opportunities not only for the region but also for businesses and countries outside the region,” Grigoryan said.

He noted that early positive steps were already visible, including Azerbaijan’s decision to lift its transit embargo on Armenian products and Armenia’s readiness to provide transit for Azerbaijan.

Grigoryan added that reopening transport links would help reduce prices for the public and support broader economic growth.