Issue Building a Caucasus cooperation strategy around logistics, renewables, agri-food and tourism

Summary

The report observes that the level of and demand for cooperation between Korea and the three Caucasus states have so far been very low. Korea had no strategy focused on the Caucasus, and cooperation mostly took the form of one-off intergovernmental projects and development aid. The region's geoeconomic importance has recently been rising because of its role in transport and logistics and in energy supply chains. The authors argue that Korea should seek sustainable cooperation opportunities there to diversify its northern cooperation and enlarge its circle of friendly states. Considering the three countries' economic development strategies, transport and logistics, energy including renewables, agriculture and agri-food, and tourism are judged likely to grow into strategic fields of mutual industrial cooperation.