Mamuka Tsereteli

UIK Panorama, April 24, 2020

Following the break-up of the Soviet Union, the Unites States, together with Turkey and other Western allies, led the process of strengthening the political and economic sovereignty of the newly independent countries in the South Caucasus and Central Asia. Turkey was a major anchor and channel of Western political, strategic, and economic interests in the Black Sea-Caspian region.

This collaborative effort brought about the development of the vibrant energy, trade, and transit connections between the Black Sea-Caspian region and the Mediterranean, delivering huge economic and political benefits to all the producing and transit countries of the region: Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. But Turkey was, and continues to be, the major beneficiary of the economic, political, and security benefits of the East-West energy and transportation corridor, of the expanding pipeline, railway, highway, and port infrastructure, linking the country to Caspian resources and markets. Further, the enlargement of NATO and the EU also brought more security and economic development to the western shores of the Black Sea – to Bulgaria and Romania.

Published in Staff Publications

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Levan Mikeladze Foundation for the Caucasus Studies

and 

Central Asia-Caucasus Institute at Johns Hopkins SAIS 

invite you to participate in the conference

 

Strategic Pillars of Security for Georgia: 

Trans-Atlantic Integration, Economy, Democracy

 Thursday, May 12, 2016

1:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Kenney Auditorium

Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies

1740 Massachusetts Ave, NW, 20036

Washington, DC

 

 Conference Program

1:00 – 1:15

Registration / Check-in

1:15 – 1:30

Welcome: Mamuka Tsereteli, Central Asia-Caucasus Institute

Tina Mikeladze, Levan Mikeladze Foundation for Caucasus Studies

1:30 – 3:00

Georgia and Strategic Environment in the Black Sea-Caspian Region

Moderator:  S. Enders Wimbush, Founder, Stratevarious/Member of the Advisory Board, LMF

Discussants: Kurt Volker, McCain Institute, Former US Ambassador to NATO

    James MacDougall, Professor, National War College

    Amb. William Courtney, Former US Ambassador to Georgia

    Amb. Archil Gegeshidze, Ambassador of Georgia to the US

    Svante Cornell, Director, Central Asia-Caucasus Institute

    Job Henning, Fellow, Truman National Security Project

    Glen Howard, President, Jamestown Foundation

    Brenda Shaffer, Visiting Professor, Georgetown University

3:00 – 3:45

Remarks:  Bridget Brink, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State

 David Bakradze, State Minister of Georgia on European and Euro-Atlantic Integration

 David Dondua, Deputy Minister of Foreign Relations, Georgia

3:45 – 4:00  Coffee Break

4:00 – 5:30                 

Internal Factors of Security in Georgia: Conflicts, Economy, Democracy     

Moderator:   Elizabeth Kvitashvili, President, Georgian Association in the USA

Discussants:  Stephen Nix, Director for Eurasia, IRI

     Melissa Muscio, Senior Manager, Caucasus and Central Asia, NDI

     Jeffrey Mankoff, Senior Fellow, CSIS

     George Khelashvili, DCM, Embassy of Georgia

     Danica Starks, Policy Team Director for Eurasia, Dept. of Commerce

     Kenneth Angell, Managing Director, SMEF, OPIC                        

    Eftychis Gregos-Mourginakis, Executive Director, America-Georgia Business Council

    Miriam Lanskoy, Senior Director for Eurasia, National Endowment for Democracy 

    David Soumbadze, Director, Rumsfeld Fellowship Program, CACI/LMF           

5:30 - 5:45     

Closing Remarks: S. Frederick Starr, Chairman, Central Asia-Caucasus Institute                                             

5:45 – 7:00

Closing Reception, sponsored by Georgian Association in the USA

Georgian Association Annual Award Ceremony with Co-chairs of the Georgia Caucus in the House of Representatives:  Congressman Ted Poe, R-Texas, Congressman Gerry Connolly, D-Virginia

 

Please register using this link.

 

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TRANSIT FORUM with the Embassies of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Turkey

Thursday, 28 April, 2016, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

 

The Central Asia, Caspian, South Caucasus and Black Sea regions together form a strategically important transit corridor between China and Europe. Connecting trade, people and economies, the modern trans-Caspian trade and transit routes from China to Europe, envisages an extensive and integrated network of infrastructure, special economic zones, harmonized customs, and cross-border procedures along this route.

Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Turkey combined represent a market of more than 110 million consumers. These countries are able to offer customized and integrated solutions to companies with highly sophisticated supply chains.

Video of the forum can now be viewed on the SAIS Events YouTube channel.

On Thursday, April 28, 2016, the Embassies of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Turkey to the U.S.A., are organizing the “Trans-Caspian East-West Trade and Transit Corridor” Forum in Washington, D.C., in partnership with the World Bank Group, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Business Council for International Understanding, Boeing Company, U.S.-Azerbaijan Chamber of Commerce, AmCham Azerbaijan, America-Georgia Business Council, U.S.-Kazakhstan Business Association, AmCham Kazakhstan, AmCham Georgia, and Turkish-American Business Association/AmCham Turkey. 

This special all-day forum, hosted by the Central Asia and Caucasus Institute at SAIS-Johns Hopkins University, will introduce projects and investments along the modern Silk Road to U.S. business leaders across a variety of multinational industries. 

Speakers at this special forum include:  Ambassador Elin Suleymanov, Azerbaijan; Ambassador Archil Gegeshidze, Georgia; Ambassador Kairat Umarov, Kazakhstan; Ambassador Serdar Kılıç, Turkey; Mr. Gary Litman, VP, US Chamber of Commerce;  S. Frederick Starr, Chairman, Central Asia-Caucasus Institute, JHU-SAIS; Dr. Taleh Ziyadov, Director-General, Baku International Sea and Trade Port;  Mr. Rauf Valiyev, Chairman, Azerbaijan Caspian Shipping; Mr. Mamuka Bakhtadze, CEO, Georgian Railways; Ms. Ketevan Salukvadze, Head of Transport Policy Dept., Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development; Mr. Askar Mamin, President, Kazakhstan Railways; Mr. Sanzhar Yelubayev, President of KTZ Express; Mr. Osman Nuri Beyhan, Deputy Director General for EU and International Affairs, Ministry of Customs and Trade; and others TBA.

 

Schedule, Thursday, 28 April 2016:

     8:00  -  9:00 a.m.   Continental breakfast

     9:00 - 10:00 a.m.   Welcome by the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute, the US
                                   Dept of State, Ambassadors of Azerbaijan, Georgia,
                                   Kazakhstan, and Turkey, and representatives from the US
                                   Chamber of Commerce

    10:00 - 11:00 a.m.  Panel #1: "Trans-South Caucasus Customs and Trade
                                   Facilitation: What Needs to Be Done?"
                                   Moderator:  S. Frederick Starr

     11:00 - 11:25 a.m.  Q & A

     11:25 - 11:40 a.m.  Break (refreshments)

     11:40 - 12:40 p.m.  Panel #2:  "'From Sea to Sea' Integrated Regional Transit
                                    and Logistics Infrastructure."
                                    Moderator: TBD

     12:40  -  1:00 p.m.  Q & A

       1:00  -  2:00 p.m.  Lunch served in the auditorium

       2:00 -  3:00 p.m.   Panel #3 "Commercial and Investment Opportunities:
                                    Financing, Logistics, and Supply Chain."  
                                    Moderator: Jorg Frieden, Executive Director, The World
                                    Bank Group

       3:00 -  3:25 p.m.   Q & A

        3:25 -  4:00 p.m.  Closing remarks

 

 

Please note location of this forum: 
Kenney Auditorium, Nitze Building
SAIS - Johns Hopkins University
1740 Massachusetts Ave., NW
Washington, DC  20036
 

 

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CACI Forum

Wednesday, March 23, 2016, from 5 to 7 p.m. 

(reception at 5 p.m. with Georgian wine, followed by the main program at 5:30)

 

Russia's seizure of Crimea and Russia's ongoing military campaign in Syria have transformed the strategic landscape from the Eastern Mediterranean and Black Sea region to the Caspian area. Grave tensions between Russia and Turkey were mounting even before Putin and Erdogan launched into a florid and vituperative war of words, which continues unabated. 

Our speakers will delve into the many levels of this confrontation, offer important perspectives on how it is affecting security and economic life in the Caucasus and Central Asia, and suggest where it all might lead.

A video recording of this event can be viewed on the SAIS Events channel on Youtube.

Speakers:
    Eric Edelman, Roger Hertog Distinguished Practitioner-in-Residence at the Philip Merrill Center for Strategic Studies, SAIS
    Avinoam Idan, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Central Asia-Caucasus Institute & Silk Road Studies Program 
    Vladislav Inozemtsev, Director and Founder, Center for Post-Industrial Studies, Moscow
    Olga Oliker, Senior Adviser and Director, Russia and Eurasia ProgramCSIS 
    Kurt Volker, Executive Director, McCain Institute, and former US Ambassador to NATO

 Moderator:  Svante Cornell, Director, Central Asia-Caucasus Institute

 

Location: 

Rome Building Auditorium
SAIS - Johns Hopkins University
1619 Massachusetts Ave.,  NW
Washington, DC  20036

Click here to RSVP and register

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