Eurasianism and the Concept of Central Caucaso-Asia

58
Eldar Ismailov and Vladimer Papava
that almost immediately after Georgia gained its state independence, it made
a strategic pro-Western choice. 200
This helped give birth to the idea of transporting Caspian oil to the West and
building the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the South Caucasus Gas
Pipeline. With the purpose of finding a direct link that did not cross either
Russia or Iran, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey essentially formed a single
team with significant support from the U.S. 201 This was fully in line with the
U.S.’s main goals in the region: isolation of Iran, prevention of the
restoration of Russia’s monopoly position in the region, support for Turkey
in augmenting its influence in the region, and support of American
companies in making investments in the region. 202
Over the past few years, the EU’s attention toward the countries of the Black
Sea and Caspian region has increased. 203 Furthermore, the EU’s and U.S.’s
Buffer Region (A New Concept for Development),” Caucasica. The Journal of Caucasian
Studies, Vol. 2 (1998), p. 24).
200 For example, Alexander Rondeli, “The Choice of Independent Georgia,” in
Gennady Chufrin, ed., The Security of the Caspian Sea Region (New York: Oxford
University Press, 2001), pp. 195-211.
201 Jan H. Kalicki, “Caspian Energy at the Crossroads,” Foreign Affairs, Vol. 80, No. 5,
2001, p. 122; Sergej Mahnovski, “Natural Resources and Potential Conflict in the
Caspian Sea Region,” in Olga Oliker and Thomas S. Szayna, eds., Faultlines of Conflict
in Central Asia and the South Caucasus. Implications for the U.S. Army (Santa Monica:
RAND, 2003), pp. 116-117.
202 For example, Friedemann Müller, “Energy Development and Transport Network
Cooperation in Central Asia and the South Caucasus,” in Renata Dwan and Oleksandr
Pavliuk, eds., Building Security in the New States of Eurasia. Subregional Cooperation in the
Former Soviet Space (Armonk: M.E. Sharpe, 2000), p. 189.
203 For example, Commission of the European Communities, Communication from the
Commission to the European Parliament and the Council. Eastern Partnership. SEC (2008)
2974. Brussels, December 3, 2008, ; Heather Grabbe, “Towards a More Ambitious
EU Policy for the Black Sea Region,” in Ronald D. Asmus, Konstantin Dimitrov and
Joerg Forbrig, eds., A New Euro-Atlantic Strategy for the Black Sea Region (Washington,
D.C.: The German Marshall Fund of the United States, 2004), pp. 106-115; Borut Grgic
and Alexandros Petersen, “Escaping Gazprom’s Embrace,” The Journal of International
Security Affairs, Spring, No. 14 (2008), ; Borut Grgic and Alexandros Petersen, “Europe's Caucasian
Moment,” The Wall Street Journal, August 5, 2008, ; Dov Lynch, “Security
Sector Governance in The South Caucasus—Towards an EU Strategy,” in Anja H.
Ebnöther and Gustav E. Gustenau, eds., Security Sector Governance in Southern
Caucasus—Challenges and Visions. Study Groups Regional Stability in Southern Caucasus