ONE STEP FORWARD, ONE STEP BACK: IRAN'S ECONOMIC POLICY TOWARDS THE SOUTH CAUCASUS AFTER LIFTING THE SANCTIONS
Keywords:
Iran, South Caucasus, Armenia, Georgia, energy cooperation, lifting the sanctions, “bipolar world”Abstract
Following the lifting of the Iran sanctions, certain developments occurred allowing for the possibility to reshape the energy geopolitics towards the South Caucasus and spark energy cooperation. In the frameworks of the Armenian-Iranian and Georgian-Iranian relationships, there are some common concerns and conflicts of interests that stem from both internal and external factors. Each side has had to consider a series of delicate international issues in their dealings, which does not exclude the role of the economy, and particularly the energy sector. This research analyzes current Iranian economic policy towards the South Caucasian states (particularly towards Armenia and Georgia,) and seeks to answer the following: how economic relations are affected by diplomatic relations, how Western influence in Georgia and Russian involvement in Armenia effect these bilateral relations, and what the prospects are for economic partnerships between Armenia and Iran, and between Georgia and Iran in the energy sector.
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