The CIS label covers a diverse set of economies with very different commercial profiles. This article addresses the Caucasus and CIS markets in our core coverage area with the directness the current situation requires.
Russia: The Compliance-First Reality
Russia has been subject to comprehensive and expanding sanctions from EU, US, UK, and other jurisdictions since February 2022. Any transaction involving Russia requires detailed compliance analysis before proceeding — covering the specific goods (export control classification and sanctions list review), transaction counterparties (sanctions screening including end users), and payment mechanism (available channels not involving sanctioned financial institutions). This requires export controls and sanctions law specialists, not general counsel review.
For companies with established Russia relationships and clear compliance profiles, we can provide trade facilitation support within the applicable legal framework. For companies considering new Russia engagement, we will provide an honest assessment of the compliance requirements and risks before any engagement begins.
Azerbaijan: Commercial Growth and Strategic Position
Azerbaijan presents a different commercial picture. Oil revenue has funded significant infrastructure development and economic diversification, and Baku has become a commercially active city with a growing middle class and sophisticated import market. Azerbaijan’s geographic position — on the Caspian, between Russia and Iran, with road and rail connectivity to Turkey and Georgia — makes it a critical transit hub for the Trans-Caspian trade route. The commercial culture is relationship-based — companies investing in genuine long-term counterpart relationships consistently outperform transactional approaches.
Georgia: The Business-Friendly Transit Hub
Georgia has developed a reputation as one of the most business-friendly environments in the broader region — reflected in strong Doing Business rankings, simple and low-tax commercial environment, and openness to foreign investment. Tbilisi has become a base for foreign companies using Georgia as a hub for Caucasus and Central Asian regional operations. For trade facilitation, Georgia’s most important role is as a transit country on the Trans-Caspian corridor — the port of Poti and Georgian roads are key links in the Turkey-Azerbaijan-Central Asia multimodal route.
Regional Strategy Implications
The practical implication: a Caucasus regional strategy should be built around Azerbaijan and Georgia — markets that are genuinely accessible and commercially attractive, largely decoupled from the Russia compliance complexity. Our regional overview covers each country in the context of our service capability. Our advisory and trade facilitation services for CIS markets are designed around the current compliance reality.
Related reading: Services · Regions · Eurasia Business Opportunities 2025