Pipeline politics in the Caspian region
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Caspian region, until recently an unfamiliar zone combining mystery, romance and ignorance, the struggle for dominating this key area entered once again the agenda. First part of the paper brings out the main reasons regarding the importance of this area on the world stage. After that, there are presented the main features of Newly Independent States (NIS) from the region. Caspian legal status follows with its implications for littoral states and possible pipelines are presented as means through which countries could influence the future orientation and development of this strategically located area.
More...