International North–South Transport Corridor: Socio-Political Reasons of Development


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Abstract

The paper discusses the main socio-political reasons for the development of the International Nоrth–Sоuth Transport Corridor – one of the most promising infrastructure development projects in Eurasia. These reasons are discussed in the context of the historical development of trade routes in the Caucasian region, as well as current political events, such as the change of government in Iran in 2024 and the re-election of Donald Trump as the president of the US. The factors of the Corridor’s development should be understood as a nexus of political and social developments in the region and globally. The project faces serious challenges due to its decentralized development (there are many powerful stakeholders with conflicting interests) and rapidly changing international structure and system. The authors suggest going beyond studying economic or logistical reasons for the development of new trade routes. The socio-political reasons for the Corridor should be divided into categories, such as geopolitics, economic interests, security interests, and regional connectivity, and studied as a whole to understand the ramifications of these processes. The negative factors, especially the most acute problems, such as chokepoints, must also be taken into account.

About the authors

A. R Chediya

Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences; HSE University

Email: achedia@hse.ru
PhD (History), Senior Researcher, Turkey Sector, Center for Middle East Studies; Researcher, Scientific and Educational Laboratory for Contemporary Iranian Studies Moscow, Russia; Moscow, Russia

E. E Imamkulieva

HSE University

Email: eimamkulieva@hse.ru
Senior Lecturer, School for Oriental Studies; Head, Scientific and Educational Laboratory for Contemporary Iranian Studies Moscow, Russia

M. Razdrih

HSE University

Email: m.razdrih@hse.ru
Post-graduate student, Faculty of World Economics and World Politics; Research Intern, Scientific and Educational Laboratory for Contemporary Iranian Studies Moscow, Russia

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