This article focuses on the diverging and converging interests of the European Union and Russia on Eurasian Project especially concerning the great game on energy politics just after the Cold War. It was discussed the post-Soviet era political relations between the EU and Russia within the axis of the Commonwealth of the Independent States. While the Caucasus had become the new "Black Silk Road" where the transportation routed for oil and gas from the Caspian Sea to the Black Sea and marketed in Europe, the perception in the region was that whoever control the Caucasus would control the pipelines. Russia had made clear that the Caucasus and Central Asia was one of its top strategic priorities. The oil and gas reserves of t he Eurasia was vital to Western geo-strategic and economic interests too. So democracy based pubIic diplomacy of the European Union has insisted that they have the potential to secure prosperity and economic growth bolstered by low oil prices. ln addition, these resources were key to ensu ring revenues and the sovereignty of the Newly Independent States with them. The wealth brought by oil could fuel both economic and democratic development in Eurasia and fostered the independence and freedom of countries which served in turn as an obstacle to potential Russian imperial expansion . On the other hand, how Russian imperialism in Eu rasian
Project reacted his situation was also analysed.
The R ussian military and political stablishment was attempting to impose a sphere of influence on the CIS and to secure control of the region's energy as well as Western
and regional countries. Control over the region's energy resources and export routes out of the Eurasian hinterland was quickly becoming one of the central issues in the post-Cold War politics. Like the "Great Game" of the early 20'11 century, in which the geopolitical interests of the British Empire and Russia had clashed over the Caucasus region and Central Asia, today's struggle between Russia and the West turned on who controls the oil reserves in Eurasia. The public d iplomacy of European Union was trying to ensure that Russia
was not a dominant, but rather an equal partner in developing the oil resources of the region. EU wanted Russian
oil and gas companies should be allowed to participate in the development of Eurasian energy resources on an equitable basis with other countries in the region. There was also a kind of coordination and cooperation between the EU and United States of America, much of their work was done on the basis of the New Transatlantic Agenda.
European Union Russia Commonwealth Of Independent States Eurasia Energy Public Diplomacy Soft Power
Bölüm | Araştırma Makalesi |
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Yazarlar | |
Yayımlanma Tarihi | 12 Aralık 2012 |
Yayımlandığı Sayı | Yıl 2012 Sayı: 21 |