gesjGEOGRAPHY, ENVIRONMENT, SUSTAINABILITYGEOGRAPHY, ENVIRONMENT, SUSTAINABILITY2071-93882542-1565Russian Geographical Society10.24057/2071-9388-2017-10-1-34-43gesj-273Research ArticleGEOGRAPHYГеографияTHE EURASIA CANAL AS A FACTOR OF ECONOMIC PROSPERITY FOR THE CASPIAN REGIONBekturganovN. S.

First Vice President, 24, Republic Avenue, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan. Tel.: + 7 (7172) 210840. Fax: + 7 (7172) 210840

graduated from Metallurgical Faculty of the Kazakh Polytechnic Institute (since 1994 – Kazakh National Technical University). In 1990 he received the degree of D.Sc. in Engineering and became a full Professor (1991). He is an Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kazakhstan National Academy of Natural Sciences and the International Academy of Engineering and serves as the First Vice-President of the Kazakhstan National Academy of Natural Sciences. Prior to that post he had a distinguished career as a public servant with over 40 years of experience. He held the highest posts within the government of Kazakhstan, including the post of Minister of Education and Science of Kazakhstan and is the recipient of the highest award in science given by Kazakhstan. His research interests relate to the technological development of Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan’s transit potential, cooperation between Kazakhstan, Russia and China. He is the author of over 750 research studies including more than 250 certificates of authorship and patents and 27 monographs

nuraly.bekturganov@gmail.comBolaevA. V.

Advisor to the President, 29/16, Sivtsev Vrazhek, Moscow 119002, Russia. Tel.: + 7 (495) 9542611. Fax: + 7 (495) 9547305

graduated from the Department of Geography of World Economy of the MSU Faculty of Geography. He received the degree of PhD in Economics in 2014. He works as an advisor to the President of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences. His research interests relate to foreign direct investments, cooperation between Russia, China and Kazakhstan and the One Belt and One Road development concept. He is the author of more than 20 research studies

arasha.bolaev@mail.ruKazakhstan National Academy of Natural SciencesRussian FederationRussian Academy of Natural SciencesRussian Federation2017010320171013443Copyright © Bekturganov N.S., Bolaev A.V., 20172017Bekturganov N.S., Bolaev A.V.Bekturganov N.S., Bolaev A.V.Данная работа распространяется под лицензией Creative Commons Attribution 4.0.This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.https://ges.rgo.ru/jour/article/view/273

The Eurasia Canal is a proposed direct water transport connection between the Caspian Sea and the Azov and Black Sea basin. The completion of construction of the Eurasia Canal will significantly increase non-oil and gas export, and it will lead to the emergence of more than 200 thousand jobs in the South of Russia, Kazakhstan and other countries of the Caspian region. A significant part of the cargo traffic between China and the countries of the European Union, which have ports on the Mediterranean Sea, will be transported via this new trans-Eurasian route that includes the Eurasia Canal.

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The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest present.