Washington is interested in establishing a new transport route that would pass through Armenia and Azerbaijan, bypassing Russia and China.
During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the future of Europe, James O’Brien, US Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia, highlighted that Central Asian countries, despite their significant resources, currently have limited options for accessing global markets through Russia or China, as reported by ARKA.
He noted that opening a route through Armenia and Azerbaijan would allow these countries to access global markets and reduce their dependency on Russia and China.
At the same time, during a meeting with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reiterated that Iran continues to view the "Zangezur Corridor" as a detrimental project for Armenia.
Pashinyan, in response, stated that Armenia does not recognize any trans-regional routes passing through its territory.
O’Brien also revealed that the US State Department has established a joint platform with Armenia to help the country reduce its reliance on Russia.
He added that Armenia is almost entirely dependent on Russia for energy and economic sectors, and it is essential to assist the country in diversifying its resources while supporting the bold measures taken by Prime Minister Pashinyan.
