Baku, Azerbaijan, May 24
By Leman Zeynalova – Trend:
There is great potential to strengthen the partnerships between the US and the countries of the Trans-Caspian, said Manisha Singh, Acting Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment and Privacy Shield Ombudsperson, Trend reports.
She made the remarks during the Fourth Annual Trans Caspian Forum in Washington, DC.
“We also see great potential for regional economic cooperation among the Caspian nations. In conjunction with the private sector, we will continue to drive economic connectivity throughout the region,” noted Singh.
She pointed out that the region is well positioned, both geographically and culturally to be a strategic passage and corridor between continents for merchants. “In the past they carried spices and textiles. Today they might have laptops and mobile phones. The route remains just as important.”
A perfect example of this is Georgia’s Anaklia Deep Water Port project which will greatly increase international commerce by sea, according to the State Department representative.
“Georgia and the U.S. are currently working together to build this port which would handle up to 10,000 TEU vessels. The project is planned to be operational by December 2020. When the port is finished, it will grow Georgia’s economy, make Georgia an even stronger trading partner to the United States, and provide greater connectivity between Europe and the entire Caspian region,” she said.
Singh went on to add that the United States joins many other partner countries interested in seeing a more vibrant and connected Trans-Caspian region. “Our vision includes open markets operating on a fair and competitive playing field, with stable and secure infrastructure that meets the highest international standards. We think that partnerships between countries and their respective private sectors can achieve this vision.”
“We see enormous opportunities to unlock the region’s renewable energy potential. We would like to modernize and improve the efficiency of existing power generation, transmission, and distribution.”
Central Asia has the potential to establish a commercially-viable regional power market that will deploy the lowest-cost energy from across the Central Asian countries to support economic development, noted Singh.
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