TWO ‘STREAMS’ FROM RUSSIA: BREAKING DOWN THE OLD GEOPOLITICAL STRUCTURES

21.06.2010

TWO ‘STREAMS’ FROM RUSSIA: BREAKING DOWN THE OLD GEOPOLITICAL STRUCTURES

Sergey Sargsyan

00 Sergei Sarkisyan.jpg (original) The global financial crisis has given Russia the opportunity not only to significantly boots its energy operations in European countries, which still remain the main markets for its oil and gas, but also to raise its relationships with nations that produce these strategic raw materials to a new, realistically and economically sound level. Besides, the crisis has also enabled Moscow to strengthen its geopolitical interests in Central Asia and South Caucasus countries.

In the pre-crisis period, Russia supplied about 160bln cubic meters of gas to European countries, according to BP’s Statistical Review of World Energy. This is very important as this article is focused on the pre-crisis, stable period of gas supplies and consumption, the level that Europe will try to return to in the post-recession era.

Considering the expected growth in demand for gas in Europe in the long-term perspective, Russia, according to the professional consultants, Wood Mackenzie, has the capability to control a third of the continental gas market.

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