Ruling party MP deems Iran`s concerns about potential NATO influence  in  "Trump Route" project as inappropriate

ArmInfo. Sargis Khandanyan,  member of parliament from the ruling Civil Contract  party and chairman of the National Assembly's Foreign Relations  Committee, has deemed Iran's concerns about possible NATO influence  in the South Caucasus region as inappropriate, assuring that the  project is purely infrastructural.

In a conversation with journalists, the MP responded to a statement  by Ali Akbar Velayati, Advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader, who noted  that Trump's plan is no different from the so-called "Zangezur  Corridor" (the route through Armenia's Syunik - ed.) and could  essentially establish  NATO presence to the north of Iran, creating  serious security threats for northern Iran and southern Russia.

"Trump's route is a joint initiative between Armenia and the United  States that has nothing to do with security issues. The project's  main goal is to develop infrastructure and unblock communications in  the region," Khandanyan clarified. He assured that Armenia's  cooperation with NATO within this project is limited to certain  formats, which do not imply a "physical presence" in the alliance.

In response to these concerns, according to the MP, constant  communication is maintained with Iranian colleagues at various  levels. He also assured that even at the initial stage, when the  project was presented to Iran, the Iranian Foreign Minister and other  high-ranking officials stated that their concerns had been allayed.  "Further discussions will take place in the near future to help  clarify potential issues. Armenia maintains a good political dialogue  with Iran, and relations between the countries in this context should  not depend on specific projects," the ruling party MP stated.

Khandanyan pointed out that Iran is also participating in various  infrastructure projects, such as the construction of a section of the  North-South highway corridor. The MP highlighted  Russia's  involvement in infrastructure initiatives, for example, through the  South Caucasus Railway (SCR). He added that SCR has no plans for a  "Trump route" on its books. As Khandanyan explained, the decision on  who will be the project's beneficiaries will depend on its progress.  "This isn't a political issue, it's a business one. First and  foremost, we need to identify organizations  willing to invest in the  project and the amount  of their investments," Khandanyan concluded.

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