Problems and prospects in organization of zones with a special economic status in the Caspian region

Annotation

The article is dedicated to discussing opportunities and prospects of using zones with special economic status as a tool for stimulating economic activity and investment processes in borders and coastal regions of the Caspian Littoral States. Close attention was paid to the survey of world and Russian practices of establishing and functioning of local special (free) economic zones/ technical parks, with the view of using them for improving social and economical development of Caspian regions of Russia and for increasing competitive ability of their products and services in the conditions of tough competition for the market of the Caspian region, which is one of the most promising and prospective markets of the XXI century.