YEREVAN — Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has responded to a statement by Armenia’s second president, Robert Kocharyan, who claimed that the United States has no economic interest in the TRIPP project.
During a press conference held on January 29, Kocharyan said that the U.S. interest in TRIPP is not economic, but rather aimed at exerting control over Iran. He also argued that claims of hundreds of millions or billions of dollars in investments under TRIPP do not reflect reality. According to Kocharyan, the project could be implemented with $80 million, an amount the Armenian government could finance on its own.
Speaking to reporters after a government session, Prime Minister Pashinyan emphasized that TRIPP is, first and foremost, an investment and economic project.
“Under this project, there will be multi-million, hundreds of millions of dollars in investments in Armenia. TRIPP is a major investment initiative that will, of course, also bring significant security guarantees along with it,” Pashinyan said.
Addressing Kocharyan’s assertion that the United States has no economic interest in TRIPP, the prime minister added:
“How can a country like the United States, which is entirely built on economic logic, have no economic interest? Do you not follow the policies pursued by President Trump? All of his decisions have an economic rationale, because the economic development, prosperity, and, of course, the necessary security for that prosperity are priorities for President Trump—just as they are for the leaders of all countries, at least for those guided by their own national interests.”
