IRAN, TURKEY, AND RUSSIA: SEMI-PERIPHERAL STRATEGIES IN CENTRAL ASIA AND THE SOUTHERN CAUCASUS
Abstract
The author discusses the semi-peripheral strategies of Iran, Turkey, and Russia in Central Asia and the Southern Caucasus, as well as their trade expansion. He establishes that the semi-periphery countries, Russia and China in particular, dominate the region’s imports. He looks at all sides of Iran’s “struggle against exploitation” strategy, analyzes its impact on individual economies, and reveals the semi-peripheral function of neo-Ottomanism from the world-systems perspective. The author’s analysis of Russia’s strategy allows him to conclude that after switching from mercantilism to integration with the leaders of the capitalist world-system, Russia can increase its semi-peripheral role and strengthen its position in the region.
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References
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Every year Kazakhstan exports 4 million tons of oil across Iran under the swap scheme; Kazakhstan’s share is not large, about 7%. Turkmenistan uses the swap system to move nearly 90% of its annual oil export (about 3.2 million tons), or 43% of the total volume of swap operations (see: “Oil Flows and Export Capacity in the Caspian Sea and Black Sea Regions,” Kazakhstan. Energy Information Administration, p. 12, available at [http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/cabs/Kazakhstan/Oil.html]).
The combined designed annual capacity of two gas pipelines, Korpeje-Kurdkuy and Dovletabat-Serakhs-Khangeran, is 12.5 billion cu m.
The Iranian presence in the gas market of the Southern Caucasus is fairly limited. Azerbaijan sells gas to the northwestern provinces of Iran and receives Iranian gas for Nakhchivan. Iran supplies Armenia with 400 million cu m of natural gas in exchange for electric power in a ratio of 1:3.
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[http://news.mail.ru/inworld/kazakhstan/politics/7593642/].
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See: Ibidem.
For more details, see: A. Egiazarian, Turtsia i Rossia vo vneshneekonomicheskikh otnosheniiakh Azerbaidzhana (1995-2006).
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Ibid., p. 41.
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V. Khoros, op. cit.
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Iran and especially China are prepared to pay even more for Central Asian gas, which explains the higher prices.
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