Biden Administration Aims To Decouple Central Asia From Russian Economy - USAID Official

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th September, 2022) The United States is aiming at decoupling the Central Asian region from the Russian economy, USAID Asia Bureau Deputy Assistant Administrator, Anjali Kaur, said at a congressional hearing.

"What we are trying to do in efforts then is to promote regional connectivity, strengthen the democratic institutions, advance the rule of law, respect for human rights as always, you know, develop human capital which I think is really critical, foster economic growth and stimulate joint climate action," Kaur said on Wednesday. "All of these priorities we find to be critical to eventually decouple Central Asia from the Russian economy, which should be our goal.

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Kaur also said the Ukraine conflict has had serious consequences for the region including impact on the trade routes, financial system as well as migrants who previously lived in Russia.

Kaur's comments come as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is set to hold its 2-day summit in the Central Asian state of Uzbekistan starting on Thursday. Earlier this week, Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov said the SCO offers a real alternative to Western-centric structures and mechanisms.