Our Eurasian Diplomacy in the Previous Year

By Elaheh Koulayi, Caucasia and Central Asia expert:

Iran’s foreign diplomacy kept on ignoring our interests in the Caspian Sea. The quality of relations with Russia and other littoral states was an obstacle to serious pursuit of our interests. In addition, our diplomatic apparatus hasn’t made efficient efforts to actualize the Caspian Sea Environment Convention despite though it was signed by littoral states. And that’s when experts have seriously warned about the environmental hazards in the Caspian.

Despite Iran’s exceptional geopolitical status, the administration has not yet made any serious efforts to use this merit to transit energy from Central Eurasian region. Transportation infrastructures are still underdeveloped in the route and our enormous potential to link energy resources and energy markets is still untapped.

Meanwhile, holding the ECO summit in Tehran was a positive point for Iranian diplomacy in the past Iranian year. In spite of all the difficulties that hinder further cooperation among ECO members, Islamic Republic of Iran managed to gather the leaders in Tehran. However, effective measures beyond meetings and declarations, and efforts to reinforce transportation infrastructures among the members are expected.

Overall, Iran’s foreign diplomacy vis-à-vis the Caspian Sea, Central Asian and Caucasian states can’t be considered successful. In my opinion, due to lack of a realistic approach in Iran’s foreign diplomacy and failure in balancing our relations with regional and extra-regional actors, our diplomatic apparatus has fallen short of fulfilling our interests such in a way that corresponds to out potentials. Undoubtedly this will remain an unattainable goal unless we adopt a balanced, realistic way which is based on expanding international relations with major global actors.