Summary

In the past decade, the Caspian Sea has become one of the world's most promising new regions for petroleum investment and development, as well as the focus of intense international competition for access and pipeline routes. The problems of ethnic tension, instability, slow democratisation, and geopolitical contest in the region are of great concern to neighbouring countries, major external powers and investors. Border disputes and conflicting legal claims to offshore oilfields of the littoral nations of Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan are among serious ...