“We encountered significant resistance during the implementation of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars project, and I can discuss it openly now. The United States was particularly opposed to the initiative,” stated President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.

According to Aliyev, very serious pressure was exerted by the U.S. on Georgia’s leaders at the time to prevent them from giving their consent.

“We encountered significant resistance during the implementation of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars project, and I can discuss it openly now. The United States was particularly opposed to the initiative due to their pro-Armenian stance, as it was perceived that this project would sideline Armenia.

Consequently, the U.S. government exerted substantial pressure on Georgia’s then-leadership to prevent them from granting their consent. We engaged in negotiations with the Georgian side for several years, and ultimately, we succeeded in reaching an agreement,” stated Aliyev.