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An abandoned station, several corroded railcars and limited stretches of railway are all that remains of former Soviet railroad in southern Armenia.

It may seem unlikely, this derelict stretch of track in the South Caucasus has been selected to transform into an emblem of diplomatic peace by the US president, referred to as the Trump Route for Global Stability and Economic Growth.

Dispersed throughout are remains of a statue from a memorial to a Soviet-era figure. A woman's sculpture is missing an arm.

"We stand upon the Trump route, also known as Peace Junction, the ancient trade route, and the regional passageway," notes a local journalist. "However currently nothing here looks American."

Regional Conflict Resolution

This constitutes a longstanding conflict the US president asserts to have brought to an end, through a diplomatic settlement between the Armenian government and its historical rival Azerbaijan.

The plan envisages US companies establishing presence under a century-long agreement to construct the 26-mile corridor through Armenian territory along the complete frontier with Iran, creating a passageway linking Azerbaijan to its separated territory of Nakhchivan.

Rail transport, highway and energy conduits have all been pledged and Trump has spoken of companies spending "a lot of money, that will financially advantage all three of our nations".

At the site, the scale of the challenge is clear. This connectivity project must be constructed from scratch, but political hurdles significantly exceed financial considerations.

International Consequences

Trump's intervention might transform international relations of an area that Moscow considers as its sphere of influence. Conservative factions in Iran are also worried and have warned to block the project.

The Tripp proposal plays a crucial role in resolving longstanding tensions between the two neighboring nations that originated from Nagorno-Karabakh, a part of Azerbaijan historically populated by.

In 2023, Azerbaijan recaptured the contested area, and virtually the entire Armenian population fled their homes. This didn't represent the first such expulsion in these hostilities: during the 1990s over 500,000 Azerbaijanis became refugees.

Global Participants

American diplomatic efforts were enabled because of Russia's weakened position in this strategic region.

Over time, Russian authorities attempted towards restoring the passage that now bears US presidential designation.

Despite Moscow's suggestion for Russian security forces to guard the future road has been rejected, they still patrol the section of the Armenia‑Iran border that has been chosen for the peace corridor.

Armenia's Syunik region is also a key hub for international trade, and commercial vehicles and traders from Iran commonly appear. Persian engineering firms are constructing a new bridge that will cross the planned corridor.

The Aras River that separates the Islamic Republic and Armenia is the very line the route is set follow.

Remains uncertain the manner in which American and Persian corporations can operate together in Armenia, considering American participation in Middle Eastern conflicts.

International Collaboration

There is also growing Western involvement in southern Armenia.

France has recently started selling weapons to Armenian leadership and established diplomatic representation in Syunik. European Union observers is deployed to this area, and the proposed corridor European officials view as component of an alternative route linking it with Central Asia and China and avoiding Russian territory.

Turkey is also eager to capitalize on an opening created by waning Russian influence.

Turkish officials negotiate with Armenia to normalise relations and has voiced support for Tripp, which would establish immediate connectivity from Turkey to Azerbaijan through the separated region.

Armenia's government appears calm about the various competing interests. It wants to become a "Crossroads of Peace" where every neighboring nation will co-operate.

"They say conditions will improve and that we can expect billions of euros, new roads and commercial relations involving Iran, America, Europe, Turkey and Azerbaijan," Marut Vanyan says while expressing skepticism.

A formal peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia remains unsigned, but certain facts emerge: since the Washington meeting, not a single shot has been fired on their shared frontier.

The presidential involvement has provided some immediate respite to those who for years experienced anxiety of renewed fighting.