Matthew Bryza: Expansion of Transport Corridors via the Caspian Sea is essential for the region - VIDEO

Expansion of Transport Corridors via the Caspian Sea is essential for the region, Matthew Bryza, former US Ambassador to Azerbaijan and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, told Report.

Bryza spoke during the opening of Caspian Week, a platform for global ideas at the World Economic Forum in Davos.

"The Caspian Week held as part of the World Economic Forum is of great importance. During the Caspian Week, the participants will discuss the issues on the expansion of economic and trade perspectives of the countries of the Caspian Region, including Afghanistan and Central Asian countries. They will also consider the strengthening of cooperation between the regional countries with the support of their governments. However, I think the most important issue here is the expansion of Transport Corridors via the Caspian Sea. During the Forum, I'll share my views and experience on this issue. This topic is very close to me and takes me back to 20-25 years ago. I remember how we worked on the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan project with the Azerbaijani government, Heydar Aliyev, oil companies. This platform is a platform of creative and global ideas."

The Caspian Week Forum, held as part of the 50th World Economic Forum that kicked off in Davos, is arranged to popularize the Greater Caspian region and attract investment for the fourth year in a row.

The idea of creating and holding the annual Caspian Week Forum was implemented in 2017 by Integral Petroleum SA, Switzerland, a member of the World Economic Forum. So far, the Caspian Week Forums were successfully held in 2017, 2018, and 2019.

The main objective of the Caspian Week Forum is to develop economic, cultural, educational, and scientific ties between the Greater Caspian Region (which includes the countries surrounding the Caspian and Black seas), as well as attract investment and new technologies. This year, the Forum will feature such well-known personalities in politics and Economics as Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia, former US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Matthew Bryza, former President of the Swiss Parliament Filippo Lombardi, Economy Minister of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Mustafa Mastoor, former Russian Ambassador to Germany Vladimir Kotenev, Adviser to the President of the A+A group of companies for Kazakhstan Andreas Baumgartner, Immediate Past President, FIATA Baber Badat.