The Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) has a far greater capacity than originally understood, the U.S. Special Envoy for Peace Missions (SEPM) Aryeh Lightstone said in an exclusive interview with Trend on the sidelines of the Baku Energy Week.
“When we started TRIPP, we did not understand the complete capacity that it would have. We thought this was a good way to be able to connect Azerbaijan with its exclave and to make sure that there would be permanent peace with Armenia. We only have come to understand that Azerbaijan becomes a central focus going to the C5 (five Central Asian countries), which is now the C6 (five Central Asian countries plus Azerbaijan), and extending all the way to the west. If you look at what's happening in the world today, regional integration is critical, energy security and consistency is everything, and being able to have the Trump Route shows that with good leadership and strong vision, you can connect infrastructure and create prosperity,” he said.
The special envoy pointed out that TRIPP is the correct solution to building peace in the South Caucasus region.
“The United Nations wasn't going to create trust between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The Europeans weren't going to come in and build trust here. None of your other neighbors were going to come in and build trust here. But President Trump, who has a reputation for talking directly and trying to address problems head on, said, I will put my name on this opportunity to be able to build trust. This isn't a band-aid to a problem, this is actually the correct solution. If we were doing this from scratch, we would have TRIPP, because you should be able to have direct connectivity from the Trans-Caspian all the way to Europe. It didn't exist because of conflict, and it will exist because of your leadership and because of President Trump,” he added.
Lightstone also talked broadly about the growing importance of the Middle Corridor, with TRIPP highlighted as part of its evolving connectivity framework.
“If you go north from here, it is complicated; if you go south from here, it is complicated. This part of the world, which was never known for stability, is now the most stable. And if you want to invest where there is certainty of law, certainty of rules, and certainty of opportunity, this is the place to invest and it does not matter where you are — whether in critical minerals, gas, energy, telecom, or AI. Who would have thought we would be talking about Baku as a potential AI capital, not just of the region, but of the world? Because when I look to invest in a place with power, fiber optics, peaceful relations with its neighbors, and easy east-west connectivity, you are right here in the middle of it. And when you look at all the other alternatives, there is always a problem. So, this one looks much more attractive,” he explained.
Further, the special envoy touched upon broader cooperation opportunities between the American and Azerbaijani businesses.
“Relations between the presidents of the two countries are very good. We need to develop long-term relationships between our countries. We are going to figure out how to interact. Today, Oracle is signing an MOU, Exxon and Chevron are here, and Apollo is an investor here today. Baku Energy Week brings all of these together. We are ready to move into new areas; we just need to know there is an opportunity there. Americans will move quickly when they see this is a place where we can succeed,” said Lightstone.
He highlighted the first economic dialogue between the United States and Azerbaijan held as part of the Baku Energy Week as an important step, noting that the U.S. businesses would take note of opportunities following the dialogue.
“Immediately after this, my American team is going to go back to the United States and tell their partners. And those partners will come and see that this is a place where you can make money and do business safely,” said the special envoy.
He also pointed to Azerbaijan’s geographic position as a regional hub. “When I am in Baku, I can go to Kazakhstan, I can go to Turkmenistan, I can do business in Georgia. This is the place to be,” he said.
Lightstone pointed out that opportunities in the country are broad-based. “What I have come to discover on all of my visits here is that the opportunities are endless — whether in real estate, minerals, tourism or other sectors. Americans will show up and invest,” he said.
Lightstone went on to add that Azerbaijan has become one of his most frequently visited destinations, underscoring deepening engagement between the two countries.
“Azerbaijan is one of my favorite places to come to. I think this is my eighth or ninth trip in just a little bit over a year. When I came to Baku for the first time in March of 2025, I did not know what to expect, but I've encountered leadership that doesn't view leadership in days or weeks or months, but in decades, allowing to plan for a future that will be sustainable and successful. A relationship with the U.S. that we're celebrating during the Baku Energy Week goes back to at least 31 years with robust connectivity between the U.S. companies and Azerbaijan and Azerbaijani companies. Since the Washington summit on August 8, 2025, relations between U.S. President Donald Trump and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev have developed in a way that could not have been anticipated. I come here with both excitement and enthusiasm, but what I thought I knew 14 months ago has turned out to be only the tip of the iceberg in terms of what can happen between Azerbaijan and the United States,” he concluded.
