The growing geopolitical importance of the Caspian Sea

Abstract

Abstract: Political developments surrounding this landlocked sea are attracting more and more attention not only on the regional level but on the international level as well. We are referring not only to natural resources, which are very important, of course, and were studied from different points of views over the last decade, but to the Caspian Sea as a Eurasian transportation hub, which will become the heart of the North-South and East-West infrastructure projects. The Caspian Sea is of great importance in the 21st century geopolitics and every political and strategic development in that region has a direct infl uence beyond that area. In this article, we intend to analyze several aspects of the geopolitical importance of the Caspian Sea: legal developments, natural resources, security and military uses, logistics and transportation projects and at the end a view from Argentina in particular and South America in general.