Instytut Europy Środkowej | ul. Niecała 5, 20-080 Lublin, Polska | +48 81 532 29 07 | biuro@ies.lublin.pl | SMS 661 677 007
Abstract:
The Caucasus is the only corridor for the export of Central Asian oil and natural gas to the rest of the World not entirely controlled by Russia. After 1991 the region became a theatre for clashes between the political interests of the West (mainly US interested in deconstruction of the Russian hegemony in the region) and the Russian Federation (interested in blocking all but own routes of export of oil and gas). Thus one may distinguish two vectors of political interests in Caucasus pipeline geopolitics: Russian from North to the South of the region and American from East to the West. The situation has started to change as China slowly develops a third vector of oil and gas export from Central Asia directly to Xinjiang. The changes in pipeline geopolitics in Central Asia caused by China may influence the Caucasus situation in the future more than contemporary Russian–US competition.
