Conflict, cooperation or competition in the Caspian Sea region:A critical review of the New Great Game paradigm

This article critically reviews the New Great Game image of the Caspian Sea region and the assumptions, concepts, and mechanisms (revolving around actors, aims, and motivations) this image is based on. More specifically, this review essay answers the following questions: How does the academic literature interpret the impact of competition between great powers on social, political and economic developments in the Caspian Sea region? Which actors are presented as the dominant players? The essay also introduces the existing criticism of the New Great Game concept and alternatives to it that have already been put forward. By identifying the gaps and limits of existing scholarship, this article offers new avenues for alternative theoretical and empirical interpretations. More specifically, this article argues that the New Great Game literature promotes unsystematic and shallow discussion as it ignores and misunderstands historical, material, political, economic, and normative differences in the Caspian Sea region. Within this discussion, actors, interests, identities, social contexts, and principles are taken to be fixed, i.e. not prone to change or to any sort of adjustmen

The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars Railroad and its Geopolitical Impact for the South Caucasus

Aims at evaluating the geopolitical impact of the construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railroad in the South Caucasus. Indeed, after the implementation of the East-West energy corridor, it will contribute to further regional cooperation between Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey. On this matter, it reflects the very specificity of this regionalization that is essentially based on economic issues and develops despite opportunistic interests. Furthermore, the BTK railroad will constitute a new stage in the further marginalization of Armenia within the South Caucasus. Not only it will bypass this country but it will also undermine its ethno-political leverages, notably in Georgia. Finally, in spite of the recent political events in the South Caucasus, the BTK railroad could be a new step in the incoming showdown between, on the one hand Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey and, on the other hand, Armenia, Iran and Russia

The EU-Azerbaijan Association Agreement: A New Framework for Updated Cooperation?

On July 16, 2010, Azerbaijan and the European Union (EU) started to negotiate for the signature of an Association Agreement. In the framework of the Eastern Partnership, launched in May 2009, it will provide a new basis for the relationship between Baku and Brussels. These negotiations will help updating the latter, highlighting both the changes of perceptions of Azerbaijan in Brussels and the new regional role Baku intends to play in the South Caucasus

Azerbaijan is Important for Nabucco not only as Producing Country

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A Deal at Last: A Bright Future for Azerbaijani Gas in Europe

E-publication sur "CACI Analyst"The gas negotiations between Azerbaijan and Turkey finally seem to have come to an end. According to a statement made by the Turkish Energy Minister Tamer Yildiz on April 27, 2010, Ankara and Baku have agreed on the amount and the price for the sale of Azerbaijani gas to Turkey. Such a deal not only paves the way for further progress in gas pipeline projects between the Caspian and Europe, it also provides for a warming of Azerbaijani-Turkish relations after the tensions arising from the signature of the Turkish-Armenian Protocols in October 2009

The EU-Azerbaijan Association Agreement: A New Framework for Updated Cooperation?

E-publication sur : "CACI Analyst"

Azerbaïdjan, hydrocarbon resources and pipelines : sociotechnical networks and regionalization

Cette recherche s’intéresse aux impacts sociopolitiques des gazoducs et des oléoducsmis en oeuvre depuis 1991 au Caucase du Sud. S’appuyant sur un cadre théoriquemêlant principalement sociologie de l’Acteur-Réseau, sociologie éliasienne etapproches managériales, elle postule que la construction d’un système complexe detransport de pétrole et de gaz azerbaïdjanais est révélatrice de l’évolution de laconfiguration sud-caucasienne. Cette thèse étudie tout d’abord les interactions qui senouent autour de la mise en oeuvre des voies d’exportation des hydrocarburesazerbaïdjanais. Elle met en lumière l’émergence de nouvelles formes de régulation, dontla plupart profite à la compagnie pétrolière BP. Elle démontre ensuite comment lesréseaux sociotechniques construits autour de ces nouvelles voies participent d’uneévolution de la configuration sud-caucasienne. Ces réseaux débordent du cadrepurement économique pour aboutir au développement de la régionalisation entrel’Azerbaïdjan, la Géorgie et la Turquie. Cette recherche souligne enfin les gains queretire l’Etat-entreprise azerbaïdjanais de cette régionalisation fondée sur leshydrocarbures. Bakou se sert de ces derniers pour étendre son influence économique etpolitique au sein de la configuration sud-caucasienne. La sociologie de l’Acteur-Réseaunous permet donc de souligner le rôle non seulement économique mais égalementpolitique des hydrocarbures dans la montée en puissance de l’Azerbaïdjan qui, d’Etat enfaillite, est devenu puissance régionale.This dissertation looks at the socio-political impacts of the pipelines that have beenimplemented in the South Caucasus since 1991. It is based on a theoreticalframework mixing Actor-Network Theory, Norbert Elias’s sociology andmanagement approaches. It assumes that the construction of an Azerbaijanihydrocarbons transportation complex system sheds light into the evolution of theSouth Caucasian configuration. First, this research studies interactions that emergeLUSSAC Samuel | Science Politique | Doctorat | 201114around the implementation of export routes for Azerbaijani oil and gas resources.It highlights the development of new forms of governance, which mostly benefit tothe oil company BP. Second, this dissertation demonstrates that the sociotechnicalnetworks built around these new export routes contribute to the evolution of theSouth Caucasian configuration. These networks overflow the economic sphere tofoster regionalization between Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey. Third, thisresearch underlines the benefits the Azerbaijani ‘state-company’ retrieves fromthis hydrocarbons-based regionalization. Baku takes advantage of oil and gasresources to increase its economic and political influence within the SouthCaucasian configuration. Therefore, the Actor-Network Theory helps to shed lightinto the economic and political role of hydrocarbons in the rise of Azerbaijan.From a failed state, this country has now established itself as a regional power

Turkey's Energy Infrastructure Security

article de la revue Global Faultlines, http://www.globalfaultlines.com, en accès libr