The US does not dispute the huge influence that Russia already has in Central Asia, but it wants to be present in the region and provide alternative opportunities for countries, Lisa Curtis, Senior Director for South and Central Asia on the National Security Council (NSC), said at the White House, speaking at the conservative Heritage Foundation in Washington.
"Russia has always had a huge influence in this region. We don't expect that to change, and we're not trying to catch them. We just want to be present, provide alternatives for countries, we want to continue to protect their ability to remain sovereign and independent states, which we have always done since they gained independence more than 25 years ago", TASS quoted her as saying.
The situation in the region, according to Curtis, is a competition between the US and Russia and China. "As for Russia and China,<...> of course, we see competition", she said.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: Twitter / @ LisaCurtisHF