INFRASTRUCTURE POLICY OF THE CASPIAN STATES: DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY AND GEOPOLITICAL AIMS

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 068-077
Author(s):  
Sergey ZHILTSOV
Keyword(s):  
Development Strategy ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Legal Status ◽  
Regional Cooperation ◽  
Negotiation Process ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
The Caspian Sea ◽  
National Programs ◽  
Port Infrastructure

In recent years, the Caspian states have been paying increasingly more attention to port infrastructure development. The construction of new facilities and the reconstruction of existing ports received a new impetus. The Caspian states increase their investments in this sphere every year. They have developed national programs that aim to increase the volume of cargo passing through the Caspian states’ seaports. The development of port infrastructure, augmented by new railways, was deliberated by the Caspian states in the context of solving geopolitical problems. The advancement of the negotiation process on the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea brought the solution of economic issues to the fore, along with the development of transport and related infrastructure. The signing of this document in August 2018 only raised the interest of the regional states in trade and economic cooperation. Accordingly, one of the key tasks that the Caspian states were facing was port infrastructure development. The construction of new ports was believed to foster achievement of long-term goals. In addition to economic development, first and foremost, of coastal territories, regional countries sought to reinforce their positions in global trade flows. Besides, the facilities constructed by the Caspian countries in recent years have been integrated in large-scale infrastructure projects, which are being actively promoted by non-regional states. China, the EU and Turkey have a stake in their implementation, and the Caspian infrastructure served as a part of regional transportation projects. The adoption of documents related to the development of transport in the Caspian region by the Caspian states reflected the importance of infrastructure. They formulated long-term tasks and outlined the spheres of cooperation with their regional neighbors. The expansion of regional cooperation by the Caspian countries is accompanied by the intensified struggle for the flow of goods. The Caspian states are growing increasingly competitive in the transportation sphere. The struggle for container traffic volumes and hydrocarbon resources is pushing the Caspian states to apply various financial and administrative mechanisms in order to attract cargo.

Kenya and China's labour relations: infrastructural development for whom, by whom?

Africa ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 89 (4) ◽  
pp. 680-695 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anita Plummer
Keyword(s):  
Development Strategy ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Youth Unemployment ◽  
Transport Sector ◽  
Employment Practices ◽  
Labour Relations ◽  
Construction Firms ◽  
Vision 2030 ◽  
The Government

AbstractThe Kenyan government's long-term development strategy, Vision 2030, has emphasized infrastructural investments, which it believes will lead to sustained economic growth. The government has appealed to China to fund large-scale projects in the transport sector, and as a consequence of this, construction firms from China have emerged as significant employers in the country. While the Kenyan government contends with the ongoing burden of youth unemployment, it must also reconcile the ambiguities of China's role in Africa and its implications for the labour market. This article examines two Chinese-built infrastructure projects in Kenya and their intersection with several issues involving migrant labour and local rumours of Chinese prisoners, as well as the state's vision for industrialization and youth employment. Kenyans utilize both online and interpersonal channels of discourse to critique present-day employment practices in the transport sector, and it is argued that these counter-channels of discourse represent a particular articulation of knowledge used by Kenyans to construct meaning and interpret ambiguous situations. Through a theoretical analysis of rumour, this article illustrates how ordinary Kenyans are pooling their intellectual resources to understand Sino-Kenyan labour relations in the absence of transparency and participatory government processes in the infrastructure sector.

The Price Elasticity of Cigarettes: New Evidence From Spanish Regions, 2002–2016

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandro Almeida ◽  
Antonio A Golpe ◽  
Jesús Iglesias ◽  
Juan Manuel Martín Álvarez
Keyword(s):  
Price Elasticity ◽  
Spatial Dependence ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Regional Cooperation ◽  
Geographical Location ◽  
Temporal Analysis ◽  
Tobacco Consumption ◽  
Temporal Dimension

Abstract Introduction There is an agreement in the literature that tobacco price elasticity is around −0.4 for given location. Furthermore, works only focus separately, on the temporal dimension or the spatial dimension, however, there are studies that show the existence of spillovers between different geographical areas due to the spatial dependence in tobacco consumption. The novelty of this study is the measurement of the effect that neighboring regions have on the price elasticity of cigarettes. Aims and Methods This study simultaneously analyzed, first, a dynamic spatial model used to measure the price elasticity of cigarettes in the short term and long term of the 47 provinces that make up the Spanish territory, detailing the influence of neighbors. Second, given the spatial arrangement of the elasticities observed in the provinces, we can detect behaviors typical of large-scale illicit trade and cross-border purchasing since geographical location can be an important factor in smuggling, and politicians should take this into account when making price policies. Results Results reveal that the consumption of the regions is influenced by the consumption of the neighboring regions in the same period. The price elasticity of cigarettes in the long term exceeds in many cases, in absolute value, unity. This result is novel because tobacco has historically been treated as an inelastic demand good. Finally, we found that the regions that are most sensitive to price are those bordering France and Gibraltar or tourist regions, demonstrating the effect that smuggling has on the behavior of the regions. Conclusions These results are important because the price in Spain is set by the central government and fiscal policies regarding the price of tobacco can have different effects in different regions. This study has shown that the consumption of cigarettes is influenced by the neighboring regions and also measured different sensitivities for each region. Regional cooperation in tobacco control policies may have better effects than the elaborated policies based on historical information. Implications Policy makers should consider that tobacco could be an elastic good in the long term and that cooperation between countries in terms of price differential should be taken to avoid tobacco smuggling. The allocation of resources to control smoking should consider the special dependence shown in this report. Also, academics should account for spatial dependence to measure tobacco consumption instead of temporal analysis.

scholarly journals Borderland Infrastructures

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Rippa
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Border Studies ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
State Investment ◽  
State Subsidies ◽  
Economic Zones ◽  
Analytical Tools ◽  
Transnational Trade

Across the Chinese borderlands, investments in large-scale transnational infrastructure such as roads and special economic zones have increased exponentially over the past two decades. Based on long-term ethnographic research, Borderland Infrastructures addresses a major contradiction at the heart of this fast-paced development: small-scale traders have lost their historic strategic advantages under the growth of massive Chinese state investment and are now struggling to keep their businesses afloat. Concurrently, local ethnic minorities have become the target of radical resettlement projects, securitization, and tourism initiatives, and have in many cases grown increasingly dependent on state subsidies. At the juncture of anthropological explorations of the state, border studies, and research on transnational trade and infrastructure development, Borderland Infrastructures provides new analytical tools to understand how state power is experienced, mediated, and enacted in Xinjiang and Yunnan. In the process, Rippa offers a rich and nuanced ethnography of life across China’s peripheries.

scholarly journals Economic Relations of the Caspian Sea Countries

2020 ◽  
pp. 145-156
Author(s):  
Orman Sultanli
Keyword(s):  
Caspian Sea ◽  
Legal Status ◽  
Regional Cooperation ◽  
Transport Infrastructure ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Joint Production ◽  
Caspian Region ◽  
The Caspian Sea ◽  
Common Interests ◽  
The Creation

The article deals with the economic and political contradictions of the Caspian region. The first and most significant step towards building mutually beneficial cooperation between the five countries located on the Caspian sea coast was the signing of the Convention on the legal status of the Caspian sea of 12 August 2018 (the Convention), which defined the common interests of the countries in economic and security issues. This is only the beginning of a successful regional cooperation. Nevertheless, favorable conditions have already been created for the deepening of mutually beneficial economic cooperation and the development of new transit and transport infrastructure. Despite certain aspects of competition in the international hydrocarbon market, the countries of the Caspian region can form a joint production infrastructure based on joint concession megaprojects in order to ensure the export of petroleum products with a high share of added value. This aspect, as well as common interests in the field of security and preservation of the Caspian sea ecosystem, can become the Foundation for the creation of a new regional Association of countries. The article reveals the main issues that can be resolved through the implementation of joint mutually beneficial regional projects. In economic terms, the main obstacle is the competition of the countries of the region in the Chinese hydrocarbon market. Taking into account the capacity and potential of this market, the transition from the positions of competitors to the positions of joint supplies could be ensured by the creation of a single processing production interstate cluster.

An Overview of Current Capital Investments in Latin American Port Infrastructure

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Luiz Eduardo Teixeira Brandão
Keyword(s):  
Economic Growth ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
Capital Investments ◽  
Risk And Uncertainty ◽  
Managerial Flexibility ◽  
Host Government ◽  
Sustainable Economic Growth ◽  
Port Infrastructure

Port infrastructure development is an important requirement for sustainable economic growth as it allows for the increment of trade, which benefits the countries involved. As occurs with most infrastructure projects, however, this investment requires significant amounts of capital with long term returns under conditions or risk and uncertainty, which frequently cannot be afforded by the host government. To address these challenges, Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) agreements have been widely used to meet the port infrastructure needs in many countries. In this article, we analyze the case of port infrastructure development in Latin America and show that the incorporation of managerial flexibility may help increase the value and reduce the risk in this class of projects. We discuss several port projects in the region and discuss in detail the case of the Terminal Portuario Multipropósito de Salaverry to show how uncertainty can be mitigated by incorporating managerial flexibility into the bid documents and contracts.

Managing the refugee crises in South Asia: The role of SAARC

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 210-219
Author(s):  
Zahid Shahab Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
South Asia ◽  
South Asian ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Regional Cooperation ◽  
Forced Migration ◽  
Complex Issue ◽  
History Of

South Asia is home to roughly three million refugees and their long-term presence brings enormous challenges. South Asia’s history of colonialism, low economic development, and intra- and inter-state conflicts have contributed to the large-scale refugee movement and the lack of capacity to address the problem. This article examines the history, current activity and potential for regional cooperation in South Asia to address the issue. The article focuses particularly on the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, the structure and culture of the organization and the likelihood of it addressing the politically complex issue of forced migration.

scholarly journals THE CASPIAN REGION IN MODERN POLITICS: PROBLEMS OF REGIONAL COOPERATION

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-220
Author(s):  
V.V. Pushkareva
Keyword(s):  
Caspian Sea ◽  
Legal Status ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Regional Cooperation ◽  
The United States ◽  
Caspian Region ◽  
The European Union ◽  
The Caspian Sea ◽  
National Interests ◽  
Reliable Mechanism

The Caspian region appears in international political terms with the USSR collapse. It includes five littoral countries - Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan, which are building cooperation with each other and with non-regional actors in the new geopolitical conditions. The formation of relations is influenced both by the common and diverse national interests of the Caspian states, and by the constant direct and indirect impact of external players: the United States, the European Union, China and Turkey. Each of them regards the Caspian region as the most important strategic space for political and economic control over Eurasia in accordance with their own interests. The interest of the world powers in strengthening their influence in the Caspian Sea is connected, firstly, with oil and gas reserves, and secondly, with the fact that the region is the center of Eurasia, where a transport transit corridor connecting Europe with various regions of Asia passes. The domestic and foreign political conditions of the Caspian region are not easy. The main problems of regional cooperation are the disunity of the region, the potential for the implementation of "color revolutions" against the background of socio-economic difficulties. The "domino effect" in development of the situation is quite real. There is no reliable mechanism to protect regional interests. The first steps to form multilateral cooperation have been taken on the basis of The Convention on the legal status of the Caspian Sea.

scholarly journals Particularities of the international cooperation in the Black-Caspian Seas region

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 208-218
Author(s):  
D. S. Ayvazyan
Keyword(s):  
International Economic ◽  
International Cooperation ◽  
Legal Status ◽  
Regional Cooperation ◽  
Intergovernmental Organizations ◽  
The Caspian Sea ◽  
Economic Relations ◽  
Limited Scale ◽  
Economic Ties ◽  
Transit Routes

The paper considers the tendencies of the international cooperation in the Black-Caspian Seas region. Since the collapse of the USSR in 1991, there has been formed the conditions for expanding the cooperation and strengthening the economic relations between the states of the Caspian and Black Seas Region. The paper analyses the international positioning and priorities of the cooperation applied by the regional states, on the basis of which key areas and formats of their interaction are implemented. The results of the cooperation are being studied. They include the creation of intergovernmental organizations and new transit routes for the supply of goods. The influence of the issue of the the legal status of the Caspian sea on cooperation in the Black-Caspian Seas region is also considered. In the context of the conflict of the foreign policy interests, the concept of the regional cooperation has not been formed both on state the intergovernmental level. However, due to the high transit potential of the region, international economic ties are being formed, which is in the interest of all regional states. Regional cooperation is pragmatic and has a limited scale. Expansion of the cooperation is so far possible between the parties that do not have opposing positions on ethnopolitical conflicts.

China’s Belt and Road Projects in Central Asia

2021 ◽  
pp. 231971452110424
Author(s):  
Manish ◽  
Alok Behera
Keyword(s):  
Central Asia ◽  
Industrial Development ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Regional Cooperation ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
Central Asian ◽  
Regional Markets ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Belt And Road ◽  
Trade Promotion

This article aims to understand the evolving nature of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Central Asia. It examines how the BRI gives China an access to the abundant energy resources in Central Asia, alongside the trade connectivity, industry, infrastructure development, and expanding regional markets and facilitating regional cooperation, etc. While doing so, the article examines 261 small-and large-scale Chinese infrastructure projects in five Central Asian republics. As we understand, China’s BRI investments focus on rail and road connectivity projects, energy connectivity projects, trade promotion and industrial development, and people-to-people projects. This gives greater influence to China in the Central Asian region, thereby leading to a competition among the major powers such as Russia, the USA and India.

scholarly journals Development of a Feeder Port of Tanjung Ringgit Facilities to Support Implementation of Sea Tollway

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Windra Priatna Humang ◽  
Rakhmawati Natsir ◽  
Amiruddin Akbar Fisu
Keyword(s):  
Development Strategy ◽  
Swot Analysis ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
Port Development ◽  
Development Policies ◽  
The Development Strategy ◽  
Changing Patterns ◽  
Port Infrastructure

Improvement of connectivity between islands known as the sea Tollway initiative has minimized pricing inequalities and improved connection in poor, remote, outer, and border areas. The biggest challenge to implementing the Program of Sea Tollway are port infrastructure readiness, collector and feeder ports for the movement of goods into a node. Tanjung Ringgit Port must serve as a feeder port for Makassar's main port to support the program. The approach used in this research is quantitative. Data collection consists of primary data through interviews, field observations and secondary data. This research used port performance analysis to analyze the needs of port performance facilities such as container field facilities, warehouses and jetty, and SWOT analysis to determine port development policies and strategies. The findings of the study show that more warehouse space will be required until 2035. The development strategy of port capacity and facilities is done by changing patterns of shipments, a dedicated terminal for large volume cargo, infrastructure development, equipment and container stevedoring, warehouse replacement truck losing systems.

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