Every November, Azerbaijan pauses to mark three dates that tell the story of our modern nation: Victory Day on 8 November, State Flag Day the following day and Constitution Day on 12 November. For me, these days are not only about looking back. They are also a good moment to ask what we are building for the future – and right now, one answer stands out: the new route linking mainland Azerbaijan with Nakhchivan.
Last year I wrote about a historic day – 8 August 2025, when President Aliyev, Prime Minister Pashinyan and President Trump met in Washington and set Azerbaijan and Armenia on the path to peace. More than a year later, that agreement is turning into something real. The route long known in Azerbaijan as the Zangezur corridor is taking shape as the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity, or TRIPP.
Building on our side
Azerbaijan has not waited. In the liberated territories, the almost 124km Horadiz–Jabrayil–Zangilan–Aghband highway, with its three tunnels, is close to completion, and the railway to the border is expected to be finished in 2027. To the west, Türkiye has begun work on a new 224km rail line from Kars to Nakhchivan. The final link is moving forward too: at the end of October, the TRIPP agreement was formally ratified, and Washington has already committed an initial $145 million.
The benefits of peace are already visible. Azerbaijani fuel is now reaching Armenia, and tens of thousands of tonnes of goods have moved between the two countries since transit restrictions were lifted in autumn 2025. A few years ago, that would have been hard to imagine.
Why it matters for business
TRIPP adds a new, shorter link to the Middle Corridor, the trade route linking China and Central Asia with Europe through the Caspian, Azerbaijan and Türkiye. Once complete, it will create a direct rail connection from the Caspian through Nakhchivan to Türkiye. A European Commission study cited by Carnegie estimates it could cut travel time by up to 25% compared with the existing Baku–Tbilisi–Kars railway, and Baku, Yerevan and Washington aim to complete the rail link by 2028.
For Nakhchivan, the change could be transformational. Today, travelling from Nakhchivan to the rest of Azerbaijan by land means a journey of 677km through Iran, or more than 1,200km via Georgia and Türkiye. With TRIPP, Nakhchivan can become a gateway for trade between Azerbaijan and Türkiye. For Azerbaijan as a whole, it means more than one route to market, at a time when trade routes elsewhere are under strain.
Markets have noticed too. According to Carnegie, Azerbaijan’s bonds strengthened on the back of the peace process, reflecting a fiscal position that was already strong.
What comes next
A few steps remain. Construction on the final 43km section is now expected to begin in 2027, and the peace treaty still needs to be signed. But the direction is clear, and the momentum is real.
When I look at how far we have come since 2020 – from conflict, to reconstruction, to new connections with our neighbours and the wider world – I feel genuinely hopeful. Roads and railways take time to build, but they last for generations. I hope the routes we are building today will bring our region closer together for many years to come.
