BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 21. The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) delegation is exploring cooperation with Azerbaijan on nuclear energy, AI, digital infrastructure and other spheres, Sara Leming, USTDA Country Manager for Europe and Eurasia, said in an exclusive interview with Trend.
"We see real opportunities in Azerbaijan, which is why we are here in Baku. For this technical mission, USTDA is focused on opportunities in energy and digital infrastructure. Specifically, the delegation is engaging with Azerbaijani counterparts to explore projects in priority sectors including liquefied natural gas, civil nuclear energy, electricity transmission, AI infrastructure, cybersecurity, and digital connectivity," she said.
Leming pointed out that these sectors support Azerbaijan’s long-term digital development and energy security while advancing U.S. economic and strategic interests.
"USTDA also prioritizes government and private sector partnerships for work in the transportation and critical minerals industries, where projects are appropriate. We are the U.S. government’s first mover on infrastructure development overseas, and our role is to help partners turn solid ideas into projects that can actually move forward.
USTDA supports the preparation of larger-scale infrastructure projects by funding pilot projects and feasibility studies. These are the critical planning tools that help define an infrastructure project’s technical requirements and pathways toward obtaining financing. The projects most likely to receive our support will be in industries of mutual priority, including energy and digital infrastructure. We consider projects that have a strong likelihood of obtaining financing and where our partners want high-quality, innovative technologies that America has to offer," the country manager explained.
Leming went on to add that USTDA utilizes technical experts to support the Agency’s decision-making related to prospective activities for our portfolio.
"Their feedback is critical to our analysis of what activities we decide to fund. Our technical experts are also highly skilled at identifying the key questions that a study must address to help a project attract financing," she added.
The country manager pointed out that the USTDA uses several criteria when evaluating projects.
"Chief among these is whether the project is of strategic interest to both Azerbaijan and the United States. Among the other important considerations are whether the project is of interest to the U.S. business community and whether there is a strong likelihood that it will be financed following the USTDA assistance. USTDA funds assistance for both governments and the private sector, and the delegation will be meeting with both public and private sector stakeholders while in Baku," she noted.