STEPS, CHALLENGES AND PERSPECTIVES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE “EUROPE-CAUCASUS-ASIA TRANSPORT CORRIDOR” (TRACECA)

Badri Gechbaia

Associated Professor of Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University,

Batumi, Georgia

E-mail: gechbaia.badri@bsu.edu.ge

http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2815-2228

Amiran Tsilosani

Doctoral Student of Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University

Batumi, Georgia

E-mail: atsilosani@gmail.com

http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2809-5964

JEL Classification: O18, R1, R40

DOI: 10.46361/2449-2604.7.2.2020.104-113

Abstract

Pandemic-related events in late 2019 and early 2020, which resulted in the closure of world borders globally, led to certain delays in the movement of maritime cargo. Under these conditions, for a number of countries, land transport has become the only solution, which has revived interest in land transport corridors.

One such transport corridor is the “Europe-Caucasus-Asia Transport Corridor”, which has not operated at its full capacity since its inception, but has great potential for future development, as exemplified by such important projects as “Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan” (BTC) oil pipeline, the “Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum” (BTE) gas pipeline and the “Baku-Tbilisi-Kars” (BTK) railway, which significantly increase the geopolitical importance of the corridor.

The aim of this thesis is to determine the importance, opportunities and possible development paths and perspectives of the “Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia” in relation to the ongoing processes in the region. The aim of the study is to describe the current geopolitical and economic processes in the Eurasian region and to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia.

The originality and value of this study lies in the study of the current state of the “Europe-Caucasus-Asia Transport Corridor”, its competitiveness in relation to other alternative transport corridors, as well as the identification of existing and potential perspectives and the ways to achieve them.

Complex methods of obtaining information were used to achieve the objectives of the study. Bibliographic research was used to extract, sort and analyze secondary data. The theoretical basis of the research is the existing literature on the subject: scientific papers, studies, publications, articles in periodicals, data retrieved from the Internet.

The thesis discusses the prospects for the future development and full-fledged operation of the “Europe-Caucasus-Asia Transport Corridor” as a result of deepening trade relations and increasing freight traffic between the EU and Central Asian countries.

Key words: Eurasia; Central Asia; TRACECA; Transport corridors