Georgians and Russians have not had such close contact, and on such a scale, since the breakup of Soviet Union. Now they are figuring each other out again.
This week will see a higher-than-usual level of attention paid to Turkmenistan, which is poised to host the heads of states of the five Caspian Sea states.
Expanding Ashgabat’s dependence on China, visiting Iran, and talking north-south transportation links. This and more in our weekly Turkmenistan briefing.
The new president cozies up to Russia. He also attempts to address food insecurity by slashing food imports. This and more in our weekly Turkmenistan briefing.
BP, which operates the pipeline to Georgia's Black Sea coast, says the shutdown is temporary and that in the meantime all oil exports are being rerouted through Turkey.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, China-Europe cargo transport is shifting to the south, but infrastructure in the Caucasus is still relatively underdeveloped.