By Eurasianet Russia’s top diplomat has expressed grudging acceptance of expanding US involvement in improving Central Asia’s trade infrastructure. But, curiously, he sidestepped commenting on China’s growing economic influence in the region. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, during a question-and-answer session with students at Moscow’s MGIMO University in early September, noted that “a growing number of extra-regional actors,” including the United States, have taken an interest in fostering trade via the so-called Middle Corridor, a route connecting Asia to Europe via Central Asia, thus bypass…