ArmInfo. We've had extensive conversations with all the countries in the region, from Turkiye, frankly, through to Central Asia about the importance of building a strong transport corridor. And I believe there's great willingness and interest in seeing movement in that direction. US Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, Ambassador James O'Brien stated at a briefing at the Department of State.
He noted that the United States is today studying the possibilities of such a trade corridor. " It can bring goods from Central Asia, so grain, energy, textiles, other products from that region can come and transit all the way, as was said, to the Mediterranean. There is another possible route that would run into the Black Sea as well. And this sort of middle corridor, this transit corridor, will be available for all the people of the region to benefit and to create industries that benefit from the movement of these kinds of goods. ," he noted. In this way, O'Brien believes, "we will begin to lay out an economic vision and then it will be on the people of each state, but especially including Armenia, to make decisions about how it will invest in and around such a corridor should one be built." He noted that the United States is not alone in doing this. "The Europeans - various European institutions have also begun studying this project. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development held a meeting on just this kind of conference, and I believe Ambassador McKee and others from AID were - participated in that and will be picking up those conversations as we go forward.
The diplomat noted that the fundamental part of such an investment is to have peace in the region. "This is a generational project, one that would change the economies of Central Asian countries because they would have transit outlets other than through Russia or China, all the way through to Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, and Turkiye. This kind of commitment requires stability and peace. So we have made clear our willingness to support the development of this project in every way we can if the countries of the region are able to agree and they're exercising their sovereign capacities that they would like to see this corridor built. I think it is an outstanding project that carries enormous potential for the people of the region, and we'll be very supportive of it."
