Wednesday, February 13, 2013
CACI Forum
"The Central Asia-Caucasus Institute"
The WTO and the Central Asian States
Long on the outer margins of Central Asians' policy interests, the World Trade Organization has recently become a lively topic there. Kyrgyzstan joined in December, 1998, while Tajikistan's membership will be finalized in just a few weeks, in early March. Meanwhile, Kazakhstan is deep into the accession process and both Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are in contact with WTO regarding their desire to move forward on the steps needed for joining. This Forum reviews the fate of WTO in Central Asia and considers the meaning of present trends for the region's future commercial activities and orientation.The Forum is preceded by a reception and refreshments at 5 p.m. The program will begin promptly at 5:30 p.m. and will conclude at 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, December 12
SILK ROAD FORUM with Matthew Bryza
The EU's Southern Energy Corridor: Is It Happening?
Achieving the diversification of energy supply is a main goal of European energy policy. Work to bring greater amounts of oil, and particularly natural gas, from the Caspian region and the Middle East to Europe has been years in the making, with both accomplishments and disappointments. This year, the agreement on a Trans-Anatolian pipeline was a major step in bringing the vision of a Southern Corridor closer to reality. We need to ask however, what are the real prospects of bringing Caspian, and especially Turkmen gas to Europe? Is the necessary political leadership present to overcome the many challenges that remain?
Wednesday, December 11, 2012
CACI Forum
The Central Asia-Caucasus Institute
“Finish the Job: Jump-start Afghanistan’s Economy. A Handbook of Projects”
This Forum will present the conclusions of a team of Afghan and international experts on urgent, immediate steps to save Afghanistan's economy from the looming "post-NATO cliff" and to develop it thereafter in such a way as to foster security and political settlement. The findings are presented in a newly released Silk Road Paper by the two principal authors, S. Frederick Starr and Adib Farhadi. Entitled Finish the Job: Jump-start Afghanistan’s Economy. A Handbook of Projects, this paper differs from most recent studies in that it sidesteps the mass of competing projects that are underway and, instead, identifies those highest-priority initiatives that will lead most directly to actual change. It argues, further, that neither political peace nor internal security can be achieved without economic progress. Copies of the paper will be available at the event.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
CACI Forum
"Central-Asia Caucasus Institute"
The Impact of Events in the Arab World on Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Turkey, Part II
On April 18 CACI offered a program on “Impact of Events in the Arab World on Central Asia, the Caucasus and Turkey” featuring US diplomats and experts. On April 26 we return to the same subject, this time with analyses and views from seven rising leaders from Central Asia and the Caucasus, CACI’s current Rumsfeld Fellows.
Rebirth of domino theories following the upheavals that began in Tunisia and Egypt were first applied to other Arab countries. What are the arguments for and against such a hypothesis as it applies to the countries of Central Asia and the Caucasus? The purpose of this session will be to gain fresh perspectives from young opinion leaders from the region on how their respective states and publics are responding to the Arab events including the likely course of developments in each one.