James O'Brien, the US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, spoke about the importance of peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia for Central Asian countries, Report informs.
The diplomat speaking at the hearing held in the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations noted that currently the main routes for the access of the Central Asian countries to the world markets essentially cross through Russia or China.
“If we can ensure the opening of routes through Azerbaijan and Armenia, then they [Central Asian countries] will have access to world markets and will become less dependent on Russia and China,” O'Brien.
He added that all this is part of efforts to allow Central Asian countries to choose their own path to global markets.