Mirzoyan rejects notions that Rubio`s brief visit to Yerevan carried  campaign subtext

ArmInfo.  Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan dismissed suggestions that the brief visit of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Yerevan was intended to  signal Washington's support for the ruling "Civil Contract" party,  asserting that the incumbent authorities face no issues regarding  their public approval ratings.  

During a press conference in Yerevan  on May 26, journalists questioned whether Rubio's arrival was timed  to coincide with the ongoing election campaign, to which Mirzoyan  responded in the negative. Mirzoyan claimed that the ruling party's  ratings are so substantial that, were it not for constitutional  mandates requiring a minimum of three political forces in parliament,  his party would form the legislature entirely on its own. "However,  we are legally required to tolerate the 'deadweight,'" Mirzoyan  noted, referring to the opposition.. When asked why Rubio had not met  with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, the Armenian minister  stated that the head of government was on vacation and busy with the  election campaign. Moreover, he said, it's not the format of the  meetings that matters, but their effectiveness. He said that three  important agreements, in his opinion, were signed during Rubio's  visit.

Responding to queries about why the Secretary of State flew in for  only a single hour, Mirzoyan stated that the finalized documents were  of such immense strategic importance that both sides wished to  implement them without delay. Regarding the document signed today  regarding the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity  (TRIPP), Mirzoyan expressed confidence that the document initialed  today regarding Trump's route would be officially signed within a few  weeks.

He noted that while the text is fully finalized, minor technical and  bureaucratic procedures remain.  According to the minister, the  signing of the core TRIPP agreement will be followed by the  finalization of secondary documents, including the operating  company's charter, after which physical work on the ground will  commence. The Foreign Minister also revealed that several countries  and international corporations have already expressed commercial  interest in the project, though he declined to name them at this  stage.  "This project encompasses far more than just a railway  infrastructure; it involves power transmission lines, pipelines,  construction contracts, industrial supplies such as steel rails, and  specialized software systems," he explained.

When asked whether an agreement had been reached regarding the  management of front-office and back- office operations (customs  checkpoints), the minister answered in the negative. Addressing the  geopolitical stances of regional powers Iran and Russia, Mirzoyan  stated that Tehran has officially expressed interest in the  initiative, despite lingering security anxieties voiced by some  Iranian analysts. The minister assured that Iranian officials have  been fully satisfied that there are no grounds for concern, as all  transport infrastructure will remain strictly under Armenian state  sovereignty, completely ruling out foreign control or the deployment  of third-party personnel. "On the contrary, this will grant Iran  direct access to the Black Sea. We are witnessing something that will  shift macro-geopolitics," Mirzoyan declared.

He concluded by applying a similar logic to the Russian Federation.  "Moscow recognizes new economic opportunities here; they have  officially expressed interest in the project and desire to  participate," the Foreign Minister concluded.