This report includes recommendations and a plan of action approved by ministers and a report on Trends in Europe-Asia Trade and Consequences for Transport. It also includes contributions from the UNECE and the IRU.

The collapse of previous command economic structures in Eastern Europe has led to an often chaotic reorganization of transport operations. Southeastern Europe in particular not only lags behind the western EU countries in terms of transport infrastructure, but also in terms of management and policy. However, despite this, or perhaps even because there are no long-standing established patterns, this region is a fertile territory for innovation. Based on the first major international conference dealing with transport issues in Southeastern Europe, this edited volume brings together key researchers and policy makers to discuss and critically analyse these innovations. Focusing on issues related to privatization and harmonization of national legislation, the contributors also address the countries' struggle with inadequate management structures and the challenges posed in running shipping, ports and railways in a region fragmented into numerous nations and states. It not only provides an up-to-date overview of transport operations and planning in Southeastern Europe, but also provides more general insights into recent and current developments in a region that has undergone widespread upheavals in the past two decades, and is now experiencing renewed growth.

Mobility is fundamental to economic and social activities such as commuting, manufacturing, or supplying energy. Each movement has an origin, a potential set of intermediate locations, a destination, and a nature which is linked with geographical attributes. Transport systems composed of infrastructures, modes and terminals are so embedded in the socio-economic life of individuals, institutions and corporations that they are often invisible to the consumer. This is paradoxical as the perceived invisibility of transportation is derived from its efficiency. Understanding how mobility is linked with geography is main the purpose of this book. The third edition of The Geography of Transport Systems has been revised and updated to provide an overview of the spatial aspects of transportation. This text provides greater discussion of security, energy, green logistics, as well as new and updated case studies, a revised content structure, and new figures. Each chapter covers a specific conceptual dimension including networks, modes, terminals, freight transportation, urban transportation and environmental impacts. A final chapter contains core methodologies linked with transport geography such as accessibility, spatial interactions, graph theory and Geographic Information Systems for transportation (GIS-T). This book provides a comprehensive and accessible introduction to the field, with a broad overview of its concepts, methods, and areas of application. The accompanying website for this text contains a useful additional material, including digital maps, PowerPoint slides, databases, and links to further reading and websites. The website can be accessed at: http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans This text is an essential resource for undergraduates studying transport geography, as well as those interest in economic and urban geography, transport planning and engineering.

Azerbaijan is a country located at the crossroads of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is bordered by Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, Iran to the south, and the Caspian Sea to the east. Azerbaijan has a rich history and has been inhabited by various peoples and empires throughout its history. The country gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991 and has since undergone significant political and economic reforms. Azerbaijan is known for its oil and natural gas reserves, which have helped fuel its economic growth. The capital of Azerbaijan is Baku, a city famous for its oil industry and the iconic Flame Towers. Other major cities include Ganja, Sumgait, and Mingachevir. The official language of Azerbaijan is Azerbaijani, although Russian and English are also widely spoken. The majority of the population is Muslim, but the country is known for its religious tolerance and the coexistence of various religious communities. Azerbaijan is a member of several international organizations, including the UN, the Council of Europe, and the Non-Aligned Movement.

With renewed American involvement in Afghanistan, Pakistan's growing fragility, and China's rise in power in the post-Soviet space, Central Asia-South Asia relations have become central to understanding the future of the Eurasian continent. Mapping Central Asia identifies the trends, attitudes, and ideas that are key to structuring the Central Asia-South Asia axis in the coming decade. Structured in three parts, the book skillfully guides us through the importance of the historical links between the Indian sub-continent and Central Asia, the regional and global context in which the developing of closer relations between India and Central Asia has presented itself since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the precise domains of Indo-Central Asian cooperation, and studies three conflict zones that frame Indo-Central Asian relations: the Kashmir question; the situation in Afghanistan; and fear of destabilization in Xinjiang. The international line-up of established scholars convincingly demonstrate the fundamental necessity to define the Indian approach on these issues and provide cutting-edge insights on the tools needed to understand the solutions for the decade to come.

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The Orient-East-Med Corridor is a key north-south transport corridor for Europe. Over its length of more than 2500 km, it connects the seaports of northern Germany with the Danube ports and Greek seaports. Seven capitals of EU member states are directly interlinked by the Corridor. At present however, it has genuine shortcomings in several aspects. The international working group Spatial and Transport Development in European Corridors: Example Corridor 22, Hamburg-Athens (2015-2018) trace the conditions for large scale, corridor oriented spatial and transport development in Europe and in particular along the Orient-East-Med Corridor. The contributions in the anthology also focus on the importance of transnational initiatives in Europe and on territorial effects of transport policies. These topics are illustrated by analyses of current transport initiatives and urban developments at the most important nodes along the Corridor, so called Hot-Spots. During the work process, the authors asked themselves, if and how a strategy for the Corridor can take effect for an integrated spatial and transport development between Hamburg and Athens. The common answer is clear: A strategy for the Orient-East-Med Corridor allows the organization of a more balanced flow of goods throughout Europe in the long run. In the southeast section, enormous land reserves in the close vicinity of railway stations can be activated for urban development. Strengthening the Corridors infrastructure thus has a huge potential to trigger spatial development and ultimately contribute to territorial and social cohesion throughout Europe.

After the Cold War, a new era began in the Eurasian region, with the countries that gained their independence from the USSR acquiring a place in the international system. After 1991, the absence of strong international gravity in Russia increased the positive relations of many countries with the West. As this book shows, across the world, there are regions caught between identity and power. In this respect, the ideological origin of the Russian Federation’s foreign policy goals is connected with its position as a great power. On this note, the book analyses the great powers’ challenges in Eurasia within the framework of strategic interests, conflict, and cooperation.

Russia has generally been neglected in the academic and policy discourse on regional integration in East Asia. This book fills this gap, with particular attention to the role of Pacific Russia in the deepening regional integration in East Asia. It examines the increasingly diverse foreign policy interests of Russia related to emerging economic and political realities of the world, and Russia’s potential role in the regional integration in East Asia. Topics discussed include Russian strategic interests and security policy in East Asia generally, Russia’s bilateral relations with China, Japan, and the Korean Peninsula, opportunities and challenges energy and immigration presents for Russia and its engagement with East Asia, and Russia’s present and future roles in regional integration in East Asia.