Iran and Interactions in Political Economy of Energy in Central Asia

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Assistant Professor of Political Science at Razi University

Abstract

Within the framework of international political economy, this article discusses the situation of energy resources, including oil and gas, in Central Asia and argues that due to abundance of oil and gas resources in such countries as Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, and hefty revenues generated by those resources, statesmen in these countries are planning to turn Central Asia into a major hub of energy export in the world. Although regional energy resources play a very important role in economic growth and international transactions of these countries, there are obstacles to export of Central Asia energy resources as a result of poor infrastructure for energy transport, especially via oil and gas pipelines, customs barriers and political turmoil. While discussing the situation of regional countries, this paper aims to shed more light on the position and status of Iran in interactions related to the political economy of energy in Central Asia. 

Keywords