Western Strategic Cooperation with Russia Concerning Oil Supply
erschienen in der Publikation "Jahrbuch für internationale Sicherheitspolitik 2003" (ISBN: 3-8132-0813-3) - Dezember 2003
Autor(en):
Prof. Gawdat BahgatAbstract:
For decades the Middle East has been the major source of oil supplies to global markets. Recent political instability due to terrorist attacks and the 2003 war in Iraq has aggravated the Western sense of energy vulnerability and insecurity. In response the United States and the European Union have sought to establish an energy partnership with the world’s second largest exporter - Russia. This study examines Washington’s and Brussels’ efforts to consolidate their cooperation with Moscow. Russia’s slow and hesitant reform of its energy sector and the inadequacy of its pipeline infrastructure, however, represent serious challenges that need to be addressed. The study argues that the question "Can Russia replace the Middle East?" is the wrong one. Today’s global oil markets are well-integrated. The sources of supplies matter less than the availability of these supplies. The surge of Russian oil since the late 1990s has enhanced Western (and global) energy security. Europe and the United States need oil supplies from as many sources as they can.