The Middle Corridor: Europe's strategic lifeline through the South Caucasus

Panel hosted by Raul Misirkhanov at Goodenough College in Bloomsbury, London.

Panel speakers:

• James Sharp, former UK Ambassador to Azerbaijan (2019-2022), Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan (2003-05)
• Natia Seskuria, Associate Fellow in International Security at RUSI, Founder and Executive Director of the Regional Institute for Security Studies (RISS), Visiting Fellow at the Davis Center at Harvard University
• Arzu Abbasova, Research Analyst on Financial Crime and Security at RRUSI, Head of Research on financial inclusion at the RUSI Centre for Finance and Security at RUSI

Moderator:

• Victor Topouria, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Topouria Group
  

Summary:

The panel discussion focused on the evolving security and economic dynamics in the South Caucasus and wider Caspian Sea region. Beyond immediate security developments, the panel explored the Middle Corridor's growing strategic importance for Europe, particularly in the context of energy security, economic connectivity, and the future of the corridor as an alternative trade route to the North Corridor, linking Europe and Asia. The conversation highlighted how geopolitical stability, financial integrity, and infrastructure development are deeply interconnected in shaping the region’s future trajectory.