Tehran, Markaze chap va entesharate vasarate omure hareje, 1390 (2011/2012). 352 p.* Mehdi Sanai, Professor of the University of Tehran, head of the Center for Eurasian Studies, Member of the Iranian Parliament, is well known to the Russian audience. He is actively engaged in studying the processes taking place in the former USSR, and constantly pays special attention to the study of the problems of the Central Asian region. Two of his works dealing with Iran's relations with the states of this region were published in Russian: "Relations between Iran and the countries of Central Asia: History and Modernity (political Analysis)" (Almaty, 1997) and "Relations between Iran and the Central Asian countries of the CIS. Socio-political and economic aspects" (Moscow, 2002). The peer-reviewed monograph in Persian is a more in-depth and extended study of Iran's policy in Central Asia. The author's close interest in this region is explained not only by the geographical proximity of Central Asia with Iran, but also by their close historical and cultural community. At the same time, according to the author, the significance of this region is determined by the fact that it should be considered as "the heir to the vast economic space of the Great Silk Road and as a link between East Asia and Europe, North and South of the Asian continent" (p. 1). The presence of large reserves of energy raw materials increases the geostrategic and geo-economic role of the region and it attracts broad international attention. The topic of the paper is extremely relevant for Iran, the new Central Asian states, as well as for Russia, as it is directly related to the formation of the southern vector of its foreign policy. Over the past decade, Russia has gradually increased its presence in the region, both through bilateral ties and through regional organizations. Analysis of similar trends in Iran's foreign policy is extremely important for developing optimal forms of political and economic cooperat ... Читать далее