Vance’s visit to region is attempt to establish control over Silk Road – Marat Bashirov

Political scientist Marat Bashirov spoke to Alpha News about the visit of US Vice President James Vance to Armenia and Azerbaijan.

“In my view, Vance’s visit to the region is linked to an attempt to gain control over part of the Silk Road, which China and other countries are building through Iran. This concerns a transport corridor running from Southeast Asia via Iran. Cargo arrives at a southern port currently leased by India, then travels by rail to the Caspian Sea.

From there, several routes exist. To the north, the railway extends into Central Asia. Another route passes through Armenia, also by rail. After a relatively short stretch—about 50 kilometers—the line enters Azerbaijan and then continues either toward the Black Sea or by rail to Turkish ports.

Across the Caspian, cargo is transshipped and sent along the Volga River, eventually reaching Russia’s northern ports. This is the general outline of the transport corridor. If the US gains control over the railway section running through Armenia and Azerbaijan, one branch would effectively be blocked. In that case, only the Caspian route—by sea and then river—would remain,” the expert said.

According to Bashirov, Washington may declare one set of goals while in practice pursuing others.

“The US is geographically far from Armenia and Azerbaijan, so I see this visit primarily as an attempt to counter the plans of BRICS countries. Often, the real motives are not stated directly. If the American side publicly speaks of promising projects but does not openly admit to trying to restrain the development of the Silk Road, then to me this looks like a smokescreen,” Bashirov concluded.