US says Azerbaijan-Armenia peace deal necessary for regional trade

The United States wants to ensure that exports of goods from Central Asia do not go through Russia and China but through alternative routes, including Azerbaijan.

US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs James O'Brien made the remarks at a hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

"It's about the whole region, Central Asia, all these countries' exports to world markets now only go through China and Russia. For a bypass, they need to cooperate with Azerbaijan," he said, referring to the goals of his future trip to Baku.

"One route goes through Georgia to the Black Sea, but another, potentially larger route would go through Azerbaijan, Armenia and Türkiye, and for these reasons, we need a peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia," the diplomat explained.