Geopolitical Monitor: US-Azerbaijan Relations: Forging Ahead in a Tough Neighborhood

"US-Azerbaijan Relations: Forging Ahead in a Tough Neighborhood"
Wilder Alejandro Sanchez
Geopolitical Monitor
Opinion
February 26, 2020
Originally published: https://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/us-azerbaijan-relations-forging-ahead-in-a-tough-neighborhood/


The Republic of Azerbaijan is a strategic US partner in the Caucasus due to its proximity to Iran, its strong ties with Israel, and its role in Caspian Sea-related energy projects. Hence, the country’s snap parliamentary elections that took place on February 9 must be placed in the proper geopolitical context.


The author would like to thank Lucia Scripcari, a LLM candidate at Koc University (Istanbul), for her editorial and research assistance.

The views expressed in this article are those of the authors alone and do not necessarily reflect those of Geopoliticalmonitor.com or any institutions with which the authors are associated.
 

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The Diplomat: The Green Steppe? Kazakhstan and Its Green Energy Future

"The Green Steppe? Kazakhstan and Its Green Energy Futur"
Wilder Alejandro Sanchez
The Diplomat
February 26, 2020
Originally published: https://thediplomat.com/2020/02/the-green-steppe-kazakhstan-and-its-green-energy-future/

New data provided by the Kazakhstani government shows that the Central Asian state is continuing its trend toward green energy to meet the demands of its 18 million citizens. While the country will continue to rely on gas and oil for the foreseeable future, even slow switches to green energy are noteworthy at a time when the global effects of climate change become more and more alarming (case in point, the ongoing heat wave in Antarctica).

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Quoted in: "India–Pakistan Border Draws Attention as US Adjusts Indo–Pacific Strategy, Experts Say"

"India–Pakistan Border Draws Attention as US Adjusts Indo–Pacific Strategy, Experts Say"
By: Venus Upadhayayaya
The Epoch Times 
February 19, 2020
Originally published: https://www.theepochtimes.com/india-pakistan-border-under-spotlight-as-us-adjusts-indo-pacific-strategy-experts_3234449.html



The importance of the India–Pakistan border has remained low for the United States for many decades, but experts say it is gaining new strategic meaning as part of its emerging Indo-Pacific strategy, which redefines U.S. resources and partnerships in the region.

The historically conflicted boundary between India and Pakistan also forms the territorial demarcation line between the U.S. military’s Central Command and its Indo-Pacific command and thus, places India and Pakistan into two separate strategic military zones, according to Kashish Parpiani, a Mumbai-based expert with the Observer Research Foundation.



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CIAR: Entre confidencialidad y transparencia: arbitraje y transferencias de armas

"Entre confidencialidad y transparencia: arbitraje y transferencias de armas"
Wilder Alejandro Sanchez y Lucia Scripcari
CIAR Global
11 de Febrero del 2020
Publicado:  https://ciarglobal.com/entre-confidencialidad-y-transparencia-arbitraje-y-transferencias-de-armas/

Wilder Alejandro Sánchez y Lucia Scripcari* ponen en contexto la industria armamentística y sus nexos con el arbitraje internacional poniendo el foco en un tema tan candente como es la consecución de transparencia en sectores que buscan especialmente confidencialidad. Publicado originalmente en inglés en International Policy Digest (“Between Confidentiality and Transparency: Arbitration and Arms Transfers“).

La venta de equipos militares es una industria global conocida por su alto grado de secreto. Después de todo, las fuerzas armadas no quieren que adversarios potenciales sepan qué tipo de equipo están comprando, los aspectos técnicos de dichos sistemas, cuántos sistemas/plataformas se están adquiriendo y otros detalles sobre equipos militares que podrían poner en peligro la seguridad nacional. Del mismo modo, el arbitraje puede ser confidencial, eso es lo que hace que el procedimiento arbitral sea más atractivo para los clientes que acudir a los tribunales de justicia, que harían públicas sus decisiones.

En 2018, una filtración de WikiLeaks de miles de documentos confidenciales, incluidos muchos de la Cámara de Comercio Internacional (ICC), proporcionó una idea de la cantidad de dinero involucrada en acuerdos de defensa, así como otra información confidencial conocida solo por las partes involucradas y los árbitros del caso.

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"Between Confidentiality and Transparency: Arbitration and Arms Transfers"

"Between Confidentiality and Transparency: Arbitration and Arms Transfers"
Wilder Alejandro Sanchez and Lucia Scripcari

International Policy Digest
World News
4 February 2020
Originally published: https://intpolicydigest.org/2020/02/04/between-confidentiality-and-transparency-arbitration-and-arms-transfers/  



The sales of military equipment is a global industry known for its high degree of secrecy. After all, armed forces do not want potential adversaries to know what kind of equipment they are buying, the technical aspects of said systems, how many systems/platforms are being acquired and other details about military equipment that could jeopardize national security. Similarly, arbitration is meant to be confidential, that is what makes this legal process more attractive to clients than going to courts of law, which will make rulings public.

A 2018 WikiLeaks dump of thousands of sensitive documents, including many from the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), provided a glimpse of the amount of money that is involved in many defense agreements, and other sensitive information that is meant to be known only by the parties involved and the arbitrators of the case.

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