The US is considering creating a new land route from the countries of Central Asia to Europe through the territories of Armenia and Azerbaijan, bypassing Russia and China, James O'Brien, US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, stated at a hearing on "The Future of Europe" in the US Senate, Sputnik reports.
O'Brien lamented the fact that Central Asian countries' path to the global markets "is fundamentally through Russia or China".
The US official suggested a new route through Azerbaijan and Armenia, after mentioning that Baku and Yerevan have agreed to a border demarcation process, following clashes over Nagorny Karabakh.
In June, the US Trade Representative (USTR) Kathleen Tai visited Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan to promote the US version of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR), also known as the Middle corridor, in order to connect the region with the West - sidelining Russia and China, via a route across the Caspian and through the South Caucasus and Turkiye.
In January, European and international investors pledged to commit $10.8 billion to support "Middle corridor connectivity" between Europe and Central Asia.
A website of the International Association "Trans-Caspian International Transport Route" launched by Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Georgia, presents another version of TITR, which includes routes to and from Southeast Asia and China, as a crucial part of the project.
Georgia's Anaklia deep sea port, built by a Chinese-led consortium, is named by regional players as an important part of TITR. However, the US is up in arms about China's role in building the port.
Apparently, the US is seeking to substitute Georgia with Armenia, in its version of TITR being at odds with Georgia's ruling Georgian Dream Party.
MNA/PR