South-West Transport Corridor (Source: financialtribune.com) — **South-West Transport Corridor (Source: Financial Tribune)**

Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor Volume: 14 Issue: 93

Baku hosted the first joint gathering of the heads of the railway administrations of Iran, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine and Poland, on June 19. The meeting was dedicated to the newly-launched “South-West Transport Corridor,” which links into the broader Trans-Caspian International Route project launched in 2016. The event concluded with the signing of a new joint protocol that envisages expanding cooperation opportunities along the so-called “South-West” route (Iran–Azerbaijan–Georgia–by ferry across the Black Sea–Ukraine–Poland) in order to optimize cargo transportation and increase transit capacity. Reportedly, the next joint meeting of the working group will be held in Odesa in September 2017 (Trend, June 19).

The coordination work of the project was assigned to Azerbaijan Railways CJSC. “The Coordination Council on the South-West route will be located in Baku—this is another advantage for us. The working group for the project will operate in Iran. We will try to negotiate, unite joint efforts, so that this transport corridor will earn and bring profit, in particular to Azerbaijan,” said Javid Gurbanov, the chairman of Azerbaijani Railways (CBC, June 20). Oxumağa davam et The South-West Transport Corridor Project and the Geopolitical Reshaping of the South Caucasus →

Asian Region

China – Pakistan Economic Corridor: An Opportunity for Central Asia?

20/06/2017 Author

Chinese foreign ministry has said that its nuclear cooperation with Pakistan is in accordance with NSG. (Source: AP)

Published by Central Asia – Caucasus Institute Analyst

In May 2017, China hosted an international summit in Beijing gathering 28 heads of state from four continents and representatives of various international organizations. The summit was devoted to the Belt and Road Initiative, referring to overland and maritime routes across the Eurasian landmass. One of the most significant moments of the summit was the meeting between China’s and Pakistan’s leaders and the signing of a new agreement (MoU), adding to the US$ 46 billion already pledged for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a network of rail, road and energy infrastructure. During the event, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif met with the leaders of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan, requesting their investment in CPEC.

BACKGROUND: CPEC is the flagship project under the Belt and Road Initiative and has been seen as a “game changer” in the regional geopolitical discourse since it was formally unveiled in April 2015. It has become the foremost bilateral initiative between China and Pakistan and has a budget of over US$ 46 billion. As part of this initiative, an opening ceremony was held on May 6, 2016 in the city of Sukkur in Pakistan’s Sindh Province, marking the beginning of construction of a section of highway between Sukkur and the city of Multan, which will be part of a network of highways connecting the cities of Peshawar and Karachi. Oxumağa davam et China – Pakistan Economic Corridor: An Opportunity for Central Asia? →

South Caucasus

The EU and the South Caucasus 25 years since Independence: Azerbaijan in the Geopolitical Strategy of the EU

15/06/2017 Author

**Caucasus International Magazine. Photo credit: 1News.Az**

Caucasus International Magazine; Vol: 7 No: 1; Summer issue

PDF version is available for download

Abstract. This paper examines the European Union’s geopolitical interests in the South Caucasus, with a specific focus on Azerbaijan. The EU has maintained a relationship with the region for over two decades, but often the EU’s approach towards the South Caucasus have been deeply affected by local and regional developments. Nevertheless, EU – Azerbaijan bilateral relations may offer an alternative. Azerbaijan plays a key role in European energy security, while the EU is seeking to create a “European space” in the South Caucasus. These two interrelated developments are mutually reinforcing. This paper examines how this relationship shapes and/or is influenced by the EU’s geopolitical strategic vision in the region.

Introduction

The South Caucasus is an extraordinarily complex region in many ways. Having re-gained independence in 1991, the South Caucasus remains one of the world’s most security-challenged regions, facing a host of internal and external security threats. Despite its small size and relatively small population, the South Caucasus occupies an important place in international geopolitics. Oxumağa davam et The EU and the South Caucasus 25 years since Independence: Azerbaijan in the Geopolitical Strategy of the EU →

Kurdish issue, South Caucasus, Turkish foreign policy

Azerbaijan-Turkey-Georgia: A Geopolitical Axis or an Accidental Alliance?

08/06/2017 Author

Azerbaijani, Turkish, Georgian high-ranking military officials observe Azerbaijani-Turkish joint exercises; June 2017. Photo Credit: Azvision.az

Publication: Eurasia Daily Monitor Volume: 14 Issue: 75

The Georgian coastal city of Batumi hosted, on May 23, a trilateral meeting of the defense ministers of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia (Azertac, May 23). This trilateral cooperation format was inaugurated in 2012, during a ministerial meeting in Trabzon, Turkey. As expected, a new military memorandum was signed during the Batumi meeting: the three sides pledged to boost military ties as well as increase cooperation in the fields of military education and military medicine, counterterrorism (including the protection of pipelines and railways), and joint large-scale military exercises (APA, May 23). “Our cooperation in the field of defense contributes to strengthening security, peace and economic development,” Azerbaijani Defense Minister Zakir Hasanov told reporters in Batumi (Azertac, May 23). Oxumağa davam et Azerbaijan-Turkey-Georgia: A Geopolitical Axis or an Accidental Alliance? →

Russian foreign policy, South Caucasus

Azerbaijan, Armenia and the Eurasian Economic Union: A Risky Game or an Opportunity?

25/05/2017 Author

**The Supreme Eurasian Economic Council.; Photo credit: Sputnik Agency**

No. 3, Jan.-Feb. 2017 » UNCOVER story

The regional economic integration within the globalized world has been recognized as an important driver for economic growth and job creation. Hence, free trade is one of the essential points for future regional economic development that would lead to a more productive and competitive economic structure. In this respect, the Eurasian Economic Union, which came into force in 2015, aims to establish a single regional market with the elimination of all customs barriers between its Member States. Even though a number of Post-Soviet countries have already become members of the EEU, Azerbaijan has managed to maintain its neutral position in this regard. Oxumağa davam et Azerbaijan, Armenia and the Eurasian Economic Union: A Risky Game or an Opportunity? →

Iran, South Caucasus

Georgia and Iran: A new bridge between the Persian Gulf and Black Sea?

17/05/2017 Author

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (L) shakes hands with Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili in Tbilisi on April 18, 2017. — Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif shakes hands with Georgian President Giorgi Margvelashvili in Tbilisi on April 18, 2017.

In the end of April 2017, Georgia and Iran held several joint events, and round table meetings aimed at deepening of bilateral strategic cooperation between two regional countries. Even though, there are certain obstacles for growing cooperation, Iranian and Georgian officials have conducted two vis-a-vis meetings in the end of April.

Firstly, Iranian delegation headed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Javad Zarif visited Tbilisi on April 18. Simultaneously, on the same day, Tbilisi host the Georgian – Iranian Business Forum, where about 100 companies from both countries were represented. “Iran is a country with one of the most serious economic potentials” in the region, said Minister of Economy Giorgi Gakharia, during the opening ceremony.

Seemingly, by hosting the business forum for a number of Iranian companies, Georgia seeks to encourage them to invest more in various spheres of the country such as tourism, telecommunication, city infrastructure, and so on. Oxumağa davam et Georgia and Iran: A new bridge between the Persian Gulf and Black Sea? →

Book reviews

Rəcəb Şəntürk – Malkolm X

15/05/2017 Author

Türkiyəli sosioloq və İbn Haldun Universitetinin professoru Rəcəb Şəntürkün qələmə aldığı Malkolm X kitabı mənə görə araşdırma və ya əsər yox “esselər toplusunu” daha çox xatırladır. Çünki kitabın içindəki ayrı-ayrı hissələr Malkolm X-in həyatının fərqli dövrlərinə nəzər salaraq onları müqayisə etməyə çalışır.

Qısaca, Malkolm X, XX əsrdə ABŞ-da yaşayan qaradərililərin (müsəlmanların) irqi-ayrı seçkiliyə qarşı apardıqları mübarizənin ən parlaq liderlərindən biri olmuşdu. Gənc yaşlarda “İslam Milləti Hərəkatına” üzv kimi qoşulan gənc Malkolm qısa vaxt ərzində liderlik və yüksək natiqlik qabiliyyəti sayəsində hərəkatın Oxumağa davam et Rəcəb Şəntürk – Malkolm X →

Fuad Shahbazov

The South-West Transport Corridor Project and the Geopolitical Reshaping of the South Caucasus