Stuck in the middle of different as well as relevant regional complexes, the Caspian Sea basin represents a critical geopolitical hub in the heart of Eurasia landmass. Political, economic as well as strategic considerations contribute to determine the systemic relevance of the Caspian Sea, whose reputation in the West is mainly linked to the vast availability of largely untapped oil and gas resources. However, behind the fierce competition aimed at the exploitation and transportation of the basin’s hydrocarbons lies a much more complex picture, consisting of interlinked legal, military and soft power issues and threats. Aim of the volume – result of a joint research project conducted by the Center for Strategic Studies under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan (SAM, Baku) and the Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI, Milan) – is to address the relevance of the Caspian Sea in the post-bipolar international system, analyzing both soft and had security threats emerging form the basin, as well as the policies of littoral and extra-regional actors.

里海盆地位于不同的相关区域综合体中间，是欧亚大陆中心地带的一个重要的地缘政治枢纽。政治、经济和战略方面的考虑决定了里海的系统重要性，它在西方的声誉主要与大量可利用的基本未开发的石油和天然气资源有关。然而，在旨在开采和运输该盆地油气的激烈竞争背后，隐藏着更为复杂的情况，包括相互关联的法律、军事和软实力问题和威胁。本书是阿塞拜疆共和国总统战略研究中心（SAM，巴库）和国际政治研究所（ISPI，米兰）联合研究项目的成果，旨在解决里海在后两极国际体系中的相关性，分析该盆地出现的软性和硬性安全威胁，以及沿岸和区域外行为体的政策。