Programme

Geoeconomics and Connectivity

Infrastructure, trade, and the political economy of connectivity in the wider Black Sea region.

Overview

This programme examines the geoeconomic dynamics shaping the South Caucasus, the Caspian region, and Central Asia. We analyse how infrastructure investment, energy dependency, and trade architecture shape the strategic choices of states and their relations with the EU, Russia, China, and Turkey.

A particular focus lies on the Middle Corridor — the Trans-Caspian route connecting Central Asia to Europe via Azerbaijan and Georgia — and on the EU’s Global Gateway initiative as a connectivity instrument.

Current focus areas