The Caspian Sea region, including the Sea and the states surrounding it, is important to world energy markets because of its potential to become a major oil and natural gas exporter over the next decade. However, this potential has been complicated by several factors, including a lack of adequate export infrastructure, disagreement over new export routes, and border disputes between the littoral states.
GENERAL BACKGROUND
The Caspian Sea has become a landmark for the former Soviet South's untapped oil and natural gas potential. …