CAMCA refers to  "Central Asia, Mongolia, Caucasus, and Afghanistan," the countries from which CACI draws its Rumsfeld Fellows. In this forum, thirteen young leaders from Afghanistan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, representing a young generation of public and private sector professionals, will offer possible scenarios for economic, social, and political development in their regions.

Several US administrations contributed to the revival of the East-West transport corridor connecting the Caspian region with Europe via South Caucasus. Functioning elements of this infrastructure are already moving significant volumes of oil and gas, but the potential of this route is only partially realized. Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Georgia are developing new elements of infrastructure that should facilitate the flow of raw materials and finished goods between Asia and Europe. But without political and security support, this project cannot succeed.
 

This forum, with speakers from academia and business, will analyze and offer views on the commercial and geopolitical context for development of the South Caucasus transportation corridor.  It will also look at the Shah-Deniz II/Southern Corridor energy project, as well as explore the impact of  the nuclear deal with Iran on regional energy and transportation landscape.

What will a nuclear deal with Iran mean for Central Asia and the Caucasus? What is the potential and what are the risks? This program will consider the political, economic, and strategic dimensions of these questions against the background of Iran's past and present relations with these vital regions.