State Department: 'We recognize work countries in Central Asia and the Caucasus doing to diversify trade routes across the Caspian Sea'

Baku. 11 February. REPORT.AZ/ "We recognize all the work countries in Central Asia and the Caucasus are doing to diversify trade routes across the Caspian Sea, through Turkey and into Europe".
Report informs citing the official website of the US State Department, it was stated Richard E. Hoagland, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs during the round table on East-West Transport corridor on trade and economic cooperation, held at the Embassy of Azerbaijan in the United States.

Hoagland called on countries in the region to cooperate in order to enhance the capacity of the region as a trade corridor. "We see the construction and expansion of port facilities in Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan mirrored across the Caspian Sea in Azerbaijan. New rail lines linking Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan have come at the same time as the development of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway" said the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary.

Commenting on the relations of the countries of Central Asia and Russia, Mr. Hoagland said, that although Russia would continue to be a major economic factor in the region, while at the same time, the Central Asian countries must decide for themselves how to implement further economic cooperation, expand trade relations and deepen integration to global markets. "But to expand the region’s potential as a trade corridor, countries in the region must work together to limit border delays and reduce transport costs. If we look solely at the World Bank’s Doing Business report to gauge the number of days and costs associated with importing and exporting containers of goods, we miss examples of how the region is changing to make trade and transport easier. I believe it is important to recognize those changes", said R. Hoagland.