For Azerbaijan, the real economic value of the proposed TRIPP project may not lie in the number of trains or trucks that eventually cross the country. Its greater value could come from something less visible but far more important: Azerbaijan’s ability to capture a larger share of the economic activity generated by those shipments.

The debate around TRIPP has understandably focused on connectivity. The project could create a new transport link connecting Azerbaijan with Nakhchivan through Armenia and, in a broader sense, strengthen the connection between the Caspian region, the South Caucasus, Türkiye and European markets. But looking at TRIPP simply as another railway or road project would miss the larger economic opportunity.

Azerbaijan already occupies an important position in the emerging Middle Corridor. The country has invested heavily in infrastructure, including the Port of Baku, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway and its road network. Cargo arriving across the Caspian Sea can move through Azerbaijan toward Georgia, Türkiye and Europe. TRIPP could add another connection to this network and, potentially, make the overall route more flexible and resilient.

Yet more transit does not automatically mean more economic benefit.

Imagine a container arriving in Azerbaijan, crossing the country and leaving without stopping for anything other than........

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