BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 20. The US proposed launching a C5+1 Critical Minerals Dialogue, backing up continued US support for the development of the Trans-Caspian Trade Route (Middle Corridor), Trend reports.
Biden made the remark at the 'C5+1' summit on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly with the participation of the Presidents of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan in New York.
The leaders discussed a range of issues, including security, trade and investment, regional connectivity, the need to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations, and ongoing reforms to improve governance and the rule of law.
"We’re building on years of close cooperation between Central Asia and the United States—a cooperation that is grounded in our shared commitment to sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity," the US president noted.
Biden specified that the participating countries must cooperate to have resilient, secure supply chains that can support the future energy landscape. For that, he proposed launching a C5+1 Critical Minerals Dialogue to develop Central Asia’s vast mineral wealth and advance critical mineral security.
These efforts are part of continued U.S. support to drive investment in and development of the Trans-Caspian Trade Route (Middle Corridor) through the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment, which will help facilitate regional economic integration and resilience.
The 'C5+1' format was established in 2015 as a means to discuss shared areas of cooperation between the Central Asian countries and the US.
The Middle Corridor is a transportation and trade route that connects Asia and Europe, passing through several countries in the region. It is an alternative route to the traditional Northern Corridor and Southern Corridor. The route starts in China and crosses Central Asian countries such as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. It then passes through the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey before reaching Europe. The Middle Corridor offers a land route that connects the eastern parts of Asia, including China, with Europe, bypassing the longer maritime routes.