US State Department envoy visits Georgia to discuss support for new South Caucasus transit corridor

A senior US State Department representative, Jonathan Askonas, is visiting Georgia to discuss the country’s potential role in supporting a new transport route aimed at promoting stability and economic cooperation in the South Caucasus.

According to the US Embassy in Tbilisi, the purpose of Askonas’s trip is to explore how Georgia can contribute to the “Trump International Peace and Prosperity Route” (TRIPP) - a proposed transit corridor between Armenia and Azerbaijan that emerged from a US-brokered peace summit held on 8 August.

“We are pleased to welcome Dr Jonathan Askonas, Senior Adviser at the US Department of State, to Georgia,” the embassy said in a statement. “His visit aims to review how Georgia can support TRIPP, a transport initiative resulting from the peace summit facilitated by the United States.”

As part of his programme, Askonas visited the Sadakhlo road customs checkpoint on the Armenian border on Tuesday morning. The facility was largely built and equipped with US financial assistance and is considered an important node for regional trade.

During the visit, he is also expected to meet officials from Georgia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Government Administration, and representatives of international financial institutions.