12:23, 27 июня 2024, Bishkek - 24.kg news agency , Baktygul OSMONALIEVA
The United States seeks to ensure that the export of goods from Central Asia does not go through Russia and China, but through alternative routes, including Azerbaijan. James O’Brien, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, said at the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
«This applies to the entire Central Asian region, all of these countries’ exports to world markets now only go through China and Russia. For a workaround, they need to cooperate with Azerbaijan,» he said, commenting on the goals of his upcoming trip to Baku.
«One route goes through Georgia to the Black Sea, but another, potentially larger one, would go through Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkey, and for these reasons we need a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia,» the diplomat explained.
The Assistant Secretary of State specified that during the visit he will convey to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev that «the time has come to make peace».
Earlier, the press service of the Department of State reported that O’Brien will travel to Azerbaijan on June 27, where he will hold meetings with senior officials, including President Ilham Aliyev and Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov.