The Caspian Sea Chessboard. Geo-Political, Geo-Strategic, and Geo-Economic Analysis

I What is at Stake: Transnational Issues Caspian ‘Sea’1 and Its International Legal Status Historical background of international legal status of Caspian ‘sea’Doctrinal overview of international legal status and regulations that may apply to the Caspian ‘sea’Legal issues of the delimitation of the Caspian as an important element of the future international legal status Conclusions Militarization of the Caspian Sea: Naval Arms Race and Conflicting Interests Naval history of the Caspian Sea s: Emergence of new naval actors s: Initiatives for naval cooperation End of 2000s and beginning 2010s: Acceleration to the full-scale arms-race in the Caspian Sea?Conclusions Energy Infrastructure Protection and the Caspian Offshore Energy infrastructures as a key asset Origin of threats to energy infrastructures Context and infrastructure protection Security threats in the Caspian context Countermeasures and challenges ahead Conclusions Escaping the Tragedy of the Commons: Environmental Cooperation in the Caspian Sea The tragedy of the commons The Caspian as a ‘transnational common’Evidence of the ‘tragedy’: depletion and degradation of Caspian resources Sea level and salinity Hydrocarbons Fisheries and marine animal population Other forms of pollution Environmental security: the existing Caspian cooperation framework Climate change: dealing with an uncertain, global problem Conclusions II Litoral States’ Perceptions and Policies The Importance of the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan: Opportunities, Challenges and Prospects Restoration of Azerbaijan’s independence and the emergence of new coastal state on the Caspian Sea Geostrategic importance of the Caspian Sea for Azerbaijan The Caspian Sea resources and their importance for Azerbaijan’s economy Impact of the Caspian Sea as the factor in the formation of Azerbaijan’s foreign policy Azerbaijan’ perception on regional cooperation: the existing and potential opportunities Conclusions Russia in the Caspian Region: An Attempt to Preserve an Inherited Role USSR demise as the foundation for Russia’s inherited role and its new claims in regional energy dynamics Russia’s interests in the oil sector Russia’s interests in the gas sector Conclusions Iran’s Policy in Caspian Sea Basin and beyond: The Great Game 2.0 Iran’s security environment and relationship with Caspian Basin countries Survival and religion: Iran’s winning hand in Middle East Conclusions Geopolitics of Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan in the Caspian Region Policies of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan over the issues of determining the status of the Caspian Sea Position of Turkmenistan on the international status of the Caspian Sea. Kazakhstan’s position on the international status of the Caspian Sea.Conclusions III Interests and Policies of Global and Regional Actors On Regions and Regional Framings: The Missing Link between the European Union and the Caspian Sea Basin It’s all about energy Assessing the nature of the Caspian Basin EU and the Caspian Basin: the importance of a regional approach Conclusions The Caspian Sea Basin in United States Strategic Thinking and Policies Engaging the Caspian: Clinton Administration strategic thinking and policies Bush Administration’s ‘security first’ approach toward the Caspian Obama Administration’s Caspian policy: reinventing regional commitment Conclusions: the Caspian Basin in US strategic thinking Chinese ‘Good Neighborhood Policy’ and Energy Diplomacy toward the Caspian Sea The rationale of Chinese approach toward the Caspian Sea area China’s energy supply needs Chinese imports from the Caspian area China-Turkmenistan: the end of Russian monopoly China-Kazakhstan: Strategic partnership and even more Accomplishments and setbacks Turkey’s Policy towards the Caspian Sea Region: Widenining Gap between Ankara’s Expectations and Capabilities Principles of Turkey’s foreign policy towards the Caspian Sea region Geo-strategic and diplomatic dimensions of Turkey’s Caspian Sea policy Geo-economic and energy dimensions of Turkey’s Caspian Sea policy Geo-cultural dimension of Turkey’s Caspian Sea policy Institutional framework of Turkey’s relations with the Caspian region Turkey’s performance and the widening gap between its expectations and capabilities Conclusions