14.04.2025Georgian International Arbitration Centre at Paris Arbitration Week
On 9 April 2025, the Georgian International Arbitration Centre (GIAC) had the pleasure of organizing a panel discussion on Key Industries and Dispute Resolution in the Caucasus and Central Asia, as part of Paris Arbitration Week (PAW).Secretary General Beka Injia delivered a speech on behalf of GIAC. Panel included distinguished regional arbitration practitioners and experts - Nurlan Mustafayev (Head of the Corporate Law Department at the State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan - SOCAR, Baku), Matthew Drossos (Partner at White & Case LLP, Washington, D. C.), Shirin Gurdova (Associate at Wordstone Dispute Resolution, Paris), Valikhan Shaikenov (Partner at ADL Disputes LLP, Almaty), and Olim Latipov (Associate Director at economics consultancy BRG, Paris). The discussion was moderated by Ketevan Betaneli, a Paris-based independent arbitrator originally from Georgia.
The discussion highlighted the legal and practical implications arising from the rapid development of major infrastructure and investment projects across the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Beka Injia spoke about three main sectors in Georgia, where can be seen the potential for future disputes: energy, transport, and construction. Mr Injia touched upon major energy initiatives such as wind and solar farms, hydropower plants, and the strategically important submarine electricity cable project connecting Georgia with Europe. In the transport sector, Mr Injia mentioned railway infrastructure developments, aimed at improving regional connectivity.
Shirin Gurdova provided a comprehensive overview of Turkmenistan’s oil and gas infrastructure, using detailed visual aids including maps of key reserves and pipeline routes. Her presentation also covered major energy corridors under development, such as the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline and the proposed Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline.
Nurlan Mustafayev, presenting the Azerbaijan, turned attention to his country’s ambitious renewable energy agenda and recent legislative advances. He discussed Azerbaijan’s newly adopted arbitration law (2024).
From Central Asia, Matthew Drossos and Olim Latipov provided valuable updates on pro-arbitration legal developments across Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, where governments are increasingly modernizing their arbitration frameworks in line with global standards.
Valikhan Shaikenov offered a nuanced legal analysis of the so-called "war of jurisdictions" linked to Russia’s controversial “Lugovoy Law”, a 2020 amendment allowing sanctioned entities to sidestep arbitration agreements by initiating proceedings in Russian courts. These courts can issue anti-arbitration injunctions, effectively attempting to block foreign arbitral proceedings.
As a conclusion, was highlighted that this event was the first-ever session at PAW dedicated exclusively to the Caucasus and Central Asia. Given the strong engagement and relevance of the topics discussed, the panel is expected to return at Paris Arbitration Week 2026 with continued updates from the region.
