As the world makes great strides on the path to development, the gap between infrastructure needs and the resources governments possess to meet those needs is ever growing on account of governments’ razor thin budgets, rapid urbanization and population growth. Asia’s overall infrastructure investment needs are estimated at USD 9 trillion till 2030, 68% of which is for new capacity and 32% for maintaining and replacing existing infrastructure. The average annual infrastructure investment during this period is about USD 750 billion. As countries move up the value chain and urban populations expand, demand for transport, logistics and utilities will only continue to grow, increasing the burden on public funds. If cash-flushed investors have an appetite for Asia’s infrastructure projects, what is keeping them at bay? For infrastructure development, statistics show that Asian nations have been turning to Public Private Partnerships (PPP), which seemed to be one of the main tools to attract financing and keep pace with rapid growth. Although the PPP models are established in several Asian countries, such as Singapore, South Korea and Japan, others are relatively immature. Indonesia, China and India, in particular, have announced ambitious infrastructure programs with governments developing mechanisms to encourage PPP investment and address barriers to PPP development. The new game-changers of the 21st century – India and China are showing aggressive signs of opening their domestic markets to international investors. While PPPs hold significant potential for Asia, they also present formidable challenges. Case studies of PPP markets in Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand provide an Asian perspective enabling recommendations for Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani government has achieved great progress over the last decade in integrating the country into the global economic marketplace and increasing foreign investment mainly due to its oil resources. Now, the government’s focus is on diversifying the economy outside the oil sector. Azerbaijan is facing increasing demand for investment in infrastructure development, overstretching the government’s budget. There is need for not only private sector investment but also private sector knowledge and expertise. The traditional approach of the government for infrastructure development of any kind has been to use the state’s own budget or privatization. The first is markedly insufficient to meet the country’s needs while the latter only works in a sound legal and financial framework and is not appropriate for all public service delivery projects. So there is a need to see if the time is ripe for public private partnerships. PPPs may not be the ultimate solution, but they can help address many of the issues systemic to the region in the field of infrastructure development. All it needs is a systematic approach undertaken through joint efforts of private and public sectors.

This publication highlights how public–private partnerships (PPPs) can be effective to meet Asia's growing infrastructure needs. It shows how governments and their development partners can use PPPs to promote more inclusive and sustainable growth. The study finds that successful PPP projects are predicated on well-designed contracts, a stable economy, good governance and sound regulations, and a high level of institutional capacity to handle PPPs. It is the result of a collaboration between the Asian Development Bank, the Korea Development Institute, and other experts that supported the theme chapter "Sustaining Development through Public–Private Partnership" of the Asian Development Outlook 2017 Update.

Azerbaijan has set the course for the economy to reduce its dependence on oil by promoting new drivers of growth. By 2025, under the government’s Strategic Roads Maps, a more diversified economy should take shape led by three sectors: agriculture, tourism, and manufacturing. Bold reforms need to strengthen areas of the economy that could otherwise impede this transition, and policy makers must resolutely stay on the reform path. The core message of this publication is diversification toward non-oil sources of growth alongside efforts to reduce macroeconomic risks and the high cost of finance, make the education system responsive to the needs of the labor market, close infrastructure gaps, and help economically significant state-owned enterprises become more efficient.

After centuries of neglect, the land transport corridors connecting Asia and Europe are on the brink of a rebirth. From practically nothing, a revived network of these land corridors is likely to lead to a considerable share of the freight revenues being generated by the increased trade between Asia and Europe. That is why there is fierce competition among the major players for control in shaping the Asia-Europe railway transport corridors. However, there are also new and exciting possibilities for cooperation among the various players. We will extensively examine and evaluate the transport corridors linking Asia and Europe. The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway project will be assessed from the perspectives of the three countries involved: Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey. It has been shown that the railroad will economically strengthen the region and better integrate the three host countries into international transport corridors. The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railroad will certainly play a key role in helping to revive the Silk Road connection, thereby creating common interests and facilitating the transformation of the region. The BTK transport corridor will not only stimulate the economies of the countries involved but help wean them their off oil-dependence and restore their rightful place as major commercial hubs along the once-legendary Silk Road. The attraction of direct foreign investment and establishment of partnerships between the public and private sectors are key issues that will be explored in-depth in this book. By 2025, the region is expected to become a prosperous financial sector and transit area; a comprehensive strategy to that end which incorporates the principles of sustainable growth is being formulated by the countries involved.

Countries situated mainly between China and the European Union are currently participating in a race to develop their transport, trade and logistics infrastructure to attract at least one of the threads of Silk Road that will carry goods and people across Eurasia. It is believed that development of the Europe-South Caucasus-Asia transport, trade and logistics infrastructure will reduce the cost of production and services, which are important to raise competitiveness and social well-being. Although the Europe-South Caucasus-Asia transport route is a shortcut way between the two continents, the soft and hard infrastructure along this way is not enough developed to meet the emerging demand for goods and passenger turnover. Huge investments required for the development of these routes could be invested by development banks (WB, EBRD, EIB, ADB, AIIB, IDB, BSTDB, ECO bank, and so on), governments and private sector. Different types of infrastructure financing models, including public private partnerships, for the upgrading of relevant infrastructure are options on the table to discuss further. Moreover, harmonization of standards, reducing procedures, electronisation of facilities and co-ordination of activities require a new approach and many adaptations. The Europe-South Caucasus-Asia transport, trade and logistics nexus and the International North-South Transport Corridor are not only economic projects, but also carry political elements, which are backed by certain political agendas. However, it is clear that any type of old Silk Road revival initiative will drive many countries to develop their infrastructure as well as superstructure and coordinate this with other participating countries, which as a result will be beneficial for all of them. It is also believed that every single country may benefit and generate revenues from old Silk Road revival process in case of possible collabouration with its neighbouring countries. Azerbaijan enjoys an advantageous geographical position at a crossroads of East-West and North-South corridors, which leads the country to become a regional transport, production, and trade and logistics hub. The country makes huge investments into its own infrastructure as well as supports certain other neighbouring countries. Within this framework, common will based on the reciprocity and mutual benefit can foster enhanced cooperation along with the Great Silk Road and International North- South Transportation Corridor projects.

This study examines major challenges and issues associated with developing regional infrastructure through the fostering of regional cooperation in Asia, and provides a framework for pan-Asian infrastructure cooperation. The study's long-term vision is the creation of a seamless Asia (an integrated region connected by world-class, environmentally friendly infrastructure) in terms of both "hard" (physical) and "soft" (facilitating) infrastructure. The soft part supports the development and operation of the hard component. Findings indicate that the benefits of upgrading and extending Asia's infrastructure networks are substantial, and that all countries in the region would benefit. A logistics network is only as good as its weakest link; each country in a regional supply chain gains from infrastructure improvements made in others. Improving connectivity in the region would bring Asia large welfare gains through increased market access, reduced trade costs, and more efficient energy production and use. According to the study, to achieve this Asia needs to invest approximately $8 trillion in overall national infrastructure between 2010 and 2020. In addition, Asia needs to spend approximately $290 billion on specific regional infrastructure projects in transport and energy that are already in the pipeline

Policymakers, academics, think tanks and practitioners will benefit from the international perspective of the book, particularly those interested in the influential Asian architecture. This book is also a useful reference tool for students of macroecon