Central Asia, the South Caucasus, and Türkiye continue to benefit from growing regional connectivity and the maturing of the multimodal Trans-Caspian International Transport Corridor. The continuous acceleration of regional collaboration and increased interest of investors reflect the economic, commercial and strategic opportunities. Better connectivity helps to address geopolitical challenges and bolster energy and climate security in the Caspian Region, Europe and beyond. Regional cross-border agreements multiply while international partners offer crucial financial and technical support. The UK, EU and US also have much to gain, investing time and effort in deepening relationships across the region. It will be important to make the most of the opportunities. A fully integrated regional connectivity strategy including energy, digital and finance would be more effective than working through sectoral initiatives separately and provide a strong steer to business and private investors.

 

2 July 2025, 09:00 – 13:00 (08;30 Registration)

Arundel House, 6 Temple Place, London WC2R 2PG

 

 

AGENDA

 

 

08:30 – 09:00  

 Registration and Coffee 

 

09:00 – 09:10 

Opening Remarks 

• David Moran, Senior UK Adviser, Caspian Policy Centre 
• Efgan Nifti, President, Caspian Policy Centre

 

09:15 – 09:35

 

Keynote Speaker

Moderated by James Sharp, Caspian Policy Centre Advisory Board Member

•  Lord Alderdice, UK Trade Envoy to Azerbaijan and Central Asia

 

09:35 – 10:20 

Ambassadorial Panel 

Moderated by David Moran, Caspian Policy Centre 

• HE Magzhan Ilyassov, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the UK 
• HE Osman Koray Ertaş, Ambassador of Türkiye to the UK 
• HE Elin Suleymanov, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to the UK 
• HE Ravshan Usmanov, Ambassador of Uzbekistan to the UK

 

Session 1 – Consolidating the Corridor

10:20 - 11:00  

 

The Trans-Caspian Corridor is a transformative initiative aimed at establishing direct and efficient connectivity between Europe and Asia – a strategic, multi-dimensional project that is reshaping trade, energy, and geopolitical dynamics across Eurasia. Development of the Corridor has been a complex, multi-year process, marked by significant political, economic and logistical challenges. Overcoming these hurdles requires aligning the interests of multiple countries, building capacity, navigating regulatory and infrastructure barriers and securing the necessary investments. How can Caspian countries and partners best work together to integrate more aspects of connectivity from sustainable infrastructure to energy and digitalisation? And how can they deliver the number of skilled experts needed? The initiative has progressed nonetheless. The European Union, the EBRD and other countries and IOs continue to be pivotal.

 

10:20 – 11:00 

Panel 1 Moderated Discussion 

Moderated by James Sharp, Caspian Policy Centre Advisory Board Member 

• Grigory Savva, Associate Director, Regional Head Central Asia) Sustainable Infrastructure Group, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) 
• Teymur Huseynov, Group Strategy Director, PASHA LLC Holding 
• Ben Godwin, Partner at PRISM Strategic Intelligence
• Richard Walker, Professor of Tectonics, Department of Earth Sciences. Official Fellow – Environmental Change, Reuben College, University of Oxford

 

11:00 – 11:15 

Coffee Break 

 

11:15 – 11:45    

Ambassadorial Panel (Cont.) 

Moderated by David Moran, Caspian Policy Centre  

• HE Ulan Djusupov, Ambassador of the Kyrgyz Republic to the UK 
• HE Varuzhan Nersesyan, Ambassador of Armenia to the UK (tbc)
• George Saganelidze, Chargé d’affaires of Georgia to the UK

 

Session 2 – Working it through and Making it Happen 

11:45 – 12:45 

  

As new infrastructure projects and trade routes continue to develop and mature, the Caspian region is set to become an increasingly important node in the global economy. Key sectors such as renewable energy, digital infrastructure and sustainable mining are poised for expansion. European countries face a strategic supply-chain challenge in securing stable access to critical minerals and rare earth elements essential for economic vitality, technological innovation, and wider security. They are increasingly turning their focus to regions like Central Asia and the South Caucasus - areas that not only have abundant reserves of energy resources and critical minerals but also offer favourable transport and logistical routes. All this has brought countries in the region to the forefront of international business strategies. In turn, they have shown a strong interest in collaborating, recognising the mutual benefits of building resilient, sustainable partnerships that can address the dual challenges of energy security and geopolitical risk. That takes time, careful preparation and constant monitoring, problem-solving and adaptation.  

 

11:45 – 12:45   

Panel 2 Moderated Discussion 

Moderated by Dr Roger Kangas, Professor of Central Asia Studies Near East South Asia Center for Strategic Studies   

• Leyla Keser, Chair, Tethys: Trans-Eurasian Gateway 
• Vladimir Pakhomov, Chief Commercial Officer, Atyrau Airport
• Afke Schaart, EVP International Affairs, Eutelsat/OneWeb Group
• Asset Onglassov, Chief of Products, Astana International Finance Centre (AIFC)  

 

12:45 – 12:55 

Closing Remarks 

 

13:00 – 14:00   

Lunch