The Caucasus and the Caspian areas have been a core interest for the main actors of international politics from the Persian Empire to the 21st century Chinese power. However, the internal and systemic constraints that once drove various political powers to compete for the control of the area has changed throughout history. This collective study will focus on issues such as the positional relevance of this region in the major powers’ policies, the peculiar legal status of the Caspian Basin (saline as a sea, closed like a lake), the energy policies of some of the Caucasian countries and the role of these strategic resources as a cause for possible conflicts or, conversely, as effective means for their non-violent resolution. These topics will be examined within nine essays from various fields of analysis, such as political science, legal studies, history and economy to ensure each topic is addressed with the appropriate depth of inquiry.

Published in association with the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

Security is a major contemporary concern, with foreign and security policies topping the agenda of many governments. At the centre of Western security concerns is Turkey, due to its geographical proximity to converging major fault lines such as the Caucasus, the Mediterranean and the Middle East. As trans-Atlantic debates evolve around these major fault lines, future relations will have a direct impact on the re-orientation of Turkish foreign and security policies. This comprehensive study focuses on the future of Turkish foreign and security policies within the emerging strategies of the two Wests. Discussing the challenges Turkey has been facing since the turn of the century, it examines Turkish foreign policy in the context of trans-Atlantic relations - as a global actor, and with respect to conflict, new power relations, energy security, Greece, Cyprus and the environment.

Reflecting the particular concerns of each of the Caspian countries, this book offers a unique perspective on the prospects and priorities for long-term development round the Caspian basin.

Contains papers that explore the challenges faced by the science establishments in the new security environment across a range of NATO countries. This work examines possible solutions by looking in closer detail at some national case studies. It sets out the importance of the NATO Security Through Science programme in the new security environment.

This book analyzes the legal and economic situation concerning the removal and allocation of the natural resources in the Caspian Sea – the largest enclosed body of salt water in the world, which not only constitutes a fragile ecosystem with great fishery resources, but is also rich in oil and gas deposits. The economic advantages gained from the development of oil and gas are the basis for the economic and social development of the riparian states, but also cause significant transboundary harm to the ecosystem of the Caspian Sea. The book contends that, if the local environment grows more heavily contaminated through the extraction of mineral resources, it could lead to environmentally induced violence. It describes the ongoing conflicts, which are primarily due to various riparian states’ territorial claims concerning the extraction of oil and gas resources, and argues that the current legal framework on the use and protection of the Caspian Sea is obsolete. Thus, the main objective of the book is to point out corresponding international legal mechanisms that could be used in order to settle these disputes and protect the Caspian Sea’s fragile environment from transboundary harm.

A stable and reliable energy supply is of critical importance and enhances resilience against political and economic pressures. As was noted during the NATO Warsaw Summit in 2016, energy developments could have significant political and security implications for the alliance and its allies, as demonstrated by the crises to NATO's east and south. This book presents papers from the NATO Advanced Research Workshop “Addressing Emerging Security Risks for Energy Flows over South Caucasus”, which took place in Tbilisi, Georgia, in December 2016. The workshop brought together academics specializing in energy security, practitioners dealing with energy infrastructure, safety and critical energy projects, NATO and EU experts, and representatives from industry, civil society and governmental agencies. The workshop consisted of six major panels, which addressed numerous issues and emphasised the importance of the energy transit function of Georgia and the South Caucasus. It reviewed existing and future energy transit projects and potential flows of oil and power, and debated areas of common interest and forms of cooperation between consumers, producers and transit states. New security challenges raised by the increased threat of terrorist activities and potential military actions were also analyzed. Potential forms of cooperation to provide adequate strategic and tactical safeguards against emerging threats were identified by the participants, and the book will be of interest to all those concerned with the security of our energy supplies.

Instability in Afghanistan has had a considerable effect on regional security in Central Asia, particularly in the aftermath of the events of 9/11, and this has meant that the importance of NATO and its contribution to security in this area has increased considerably. A detailed analysis of this topic is precisely important because it could highlight the areas where the Central Asian countries could increase their security contributions to Afghanistan’s security through enhancing their cooperation with NATO. This book presents the fully revised and updated versions of papers presented at the NATO Advanced Research Workshop (ARW), 'NATO, the Fight against International Terrorism in Afghanistan and Security Situation in Central Asia since 9/11', held in Ankara, Turkey, in April 2011. This ARW was supported by the NATO Science for Peace and Security Programme. The book takes a comprehensive approach to the regional security complex in Central Asia by emphasizing the human security, socio-political and energy dimensions in addition to the traditional military dimension of the fight against international terrorism in and around Afghanistan. The findings of the book enhance our understanding of the root causes of international terrorism and the effective ways of coping with the security challenges in this region. The book is divided into five parts: First, NATO’s Contribution to Lasting Security in Afghanistan; Second, Responses of the Central Asian States to Political Instability, Organized Crime and International Terrorism in Afghanistan; Third, Energy Security in and around Central Asia; Fourth, International Competition and Co-operation over Afghanistan and Central Asia; and Last but not least, Regional Security Organizations and the Fight against International Terrorism in Afghanistan.