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A deserted terminal, several corroded railcars and a dozen metres of track are all that remains of former Soviet railroad in southern Armenia.

It may seem unlikely, this derelict stretch of railway in the Caucasus region has been designated to become a symbol of diplomatic peace by the US president, known as the Trump Route for Global Stability and Economic Growth.

Scattered around are remains of a statue from a monument to a Soviet-era figure. A female statue has lost one limb.

"We are on the Trump route, alternatively called Crossroads of Peace, the ancient trade route, and the Zangezur Corridor," notes Marut Vanyan. "However currently none of this appears Western."

Peace Negotiations

This represents a longstanding conflict the US president asserts to have brought to an end, through a diplomatic settlement between the Armenian government and its long-time enemy Azerbaijan.

The plan envisages American corporations establishing presence under a 99-year deal to construct the 26-mile corridor through Armenian territory along the complete frontier with Iran, establishing a corridor linking Azerbaijan to its exclave of Nakhchivan.

Rail transport, highway and pipelines are all promised and the president has mentioned of corporations investing "significant funds, that will financially advantage all three of our nations".

At the site, the magnitude of the undertaking is clear. This connectivity project must be constructed from scratch, but diplomatic obstacles significantly exceed financial considerations.

Geopolitical Implications

The American involvement might transform international relations of an area that Moscow considers as its regional domain. Hardliners in Tehran are also worried and are threatening 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, Azerbaijani forces regained the contested area, and virtually the entire ethnic Armenians fled their homes. This didn't represent the first such expulsion in these hostilities: in the 1990s half a million Azerbaijani citizens were displaced.

Global Participants

US mediation became possible because of Russia's weakened position in the South Caucasus.

Over time, Russian authorities attempted towards restoring the passage that currently carries US presidential designation.

Although Russia's proposal for its FSB border troops to guard the future road was declined, Russian units continue monitoring the section of the Armenian-Iranian frontier that was selected as the Trump route.

Armenia's Syunik region is also an important center for international trade, and businessmen and trucks from Iran commonly appear. Iranian construction companies are building a new bridge that will intersect the future Tripp.

The Aras River that divides Iranian and Armenian territory represents the exact path the route is set follow.

It is unclear how the US and Iranian companies can operate together in Armenia, considering American participation in Middle Eastern conflicts.

Regional Cooperation Prospects

There is also growing Western involvement in southern Armenia.

France has recently started selling weapons to Armenian leadership and established diplomatic representation in Syunik. An EU monitoring mission operates within the region, and the proposed corridor European officials view as component of an alternative route connecting Europe to Central Asia and China and avoiding Russian territory.

Turkey is also eager to benefit from an opening created by diminished Moscow presence.

Ankara is in talks with Yerevan to normalise relations and expressed endorsement for Tripp, which would create immediate connectivity from Turkish territory to Azerbaijan through its exclave.

Yerevan's administration shows composure about multiple international stakes. Authorities aspire for a "Crossroads of Peace" where every neighboring nation will co-operate.

"Officials claim everything will be fine and that we can expect massive European investment, new roads and trade with Iran, America, Europe, Turkey and Azerbaijan," the journalist comments with an incredulous smile.

A formal peace treaty between Azerbaijan and Armenia remains unsigned, but one thing is clear: following the American summit, not a single shot has occurred on their shared frontier.

Trump's intervention has provided some immediate respite to residents who long have lived in fear of resumed hostilities.