Dr. Mamuka Tsereteli is a Senior Research Fellow and serves as Director of Research with the Central Asia-Caucasus Institute & Silk Road Studies Program Joint Center, based in Washington DC. His expertise includes international economic policy, economic and energy security, political and economic risk analysis and mitigation strategies, and business development in the South Caucasus and Central Asia. From 2009 to 2013, he served as Director of the Center for Black Sea-Caspian Studies at American University. Previously, Dr. Tsereteli served for twelve years as Founding Executive Director at the America-Georgia Business Council, and as Economic Counselor at the Embassy of Georgia in Washington. Dr. Tsereteli holds a Ph.D. Degree in Economics from the Academy of Sciences in Moscow, and an M.A. in Social and Economic Geography from Tbilisi State University.