Recent months have seen a flurry of new activity between the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and states in Central Asia and the South Caucasus. Notably, the July 2023 Jeddah summit allowed these countries to discuss investment, transportation, agriculture, food security, and tourism. The prospects for improved intra-regional cooperation among the countries of Central Asia and the South Caucasus, facilitated by the tightening links with the Gulf states, have not looked this promising since 1991, when these republics gained their independence. What factors are behind this rise in interest that the two regions show for each other? How serious is the potential for cooperation, and how can it help integrate the broader West Asia with Central Asia and the rest of the Caspian region? Finally, what is the policy stance of third-parties, such as Iran, Russia and China? To discuss these issues and more, MEI is delighted to host a panel of experts, moderated by Alex Vatanka, Senior Fellow and director of the Iran Program at the Middle East Institute.
Speakers
Fariz Ismailzade
Vice-Rector, External, Government and Student Affairs, ADA University in Baku, Azerbaijan
Tengiz Pkhaladze
Senior Fellow, European Centre for International Political Economy
Mohammed Al Sulami
Head, Rasanah International Institute for Iranian Studies
Alex Vatanka, moderator
Senior Fellow; Director, Iran Program, Middle East Institute
Akbota Zholdasbekova
Dean, Faculty of International Relations; Associate Professor, Department of International Relations, L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University
Photo by Iraqi PM Press Office/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images