Alexandros Petersen: The west needs the Caspian

Caspian countries offer sole alternative to the EU and US to a Russian monopoly over energy security As leaders of the G8 nations discuss the environment and the global financial crisis with Russian president Dmitry Medvedev this week, and EU leaders continue attempts to hammer out a partnership agreement with Moscow, Russian policies are directly undermining western interests in the Caspian region. The west needs the Caspian. The EU is in the midst of an energy security crisis: increasing percentages of its oil and gas come from Russia, are funneled through Russia, or pass through Russian-controlled infrastructure. The countries of the Caspian region – Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan – present the only viable alternative sources with which Europe could diversify away from the dominance of a... [read full story]