Central Asia and Caspian Sea region: struggle continues

Studying changes in Central Asia and the Caspian Sea region has long been a priority for the NESF. The interest in this region is not declining. On the contrary, for the EU this is one of the few options of acquiring new suppliers of natural gas to European markets. However, the situation is not simple for the Europeans. 

The mandate of the European Commission granted back in 2011 to negotiate implementation of a project of building a trans-Caspian gas pipeline to deliver Turkmen natural gas to Europe bypassing Russia has not yielded any result.

Azerbaijan remains the only new promising supplier of natural gas from the Caspian Sea region to the EU.

The sharpening of relations between Russia and the West led to revival of the old idea of Iranian natural gas exports to Europe that have been blocked over the past decades by large-scale sanctions.

Meanwhile, China keeps gradually reinforcing its presence in Central Asia by developing gas production and transportation capacities to deliver natural gas to its market. Construction of a new line of a gas pipeline through Kyrgyzstan is on the agenda.

A new report examines processes in the sphere of resource base development in countries of the Caspian Sea region, infrastructure development and collision of geopolitical interests around natural gas projects.

Key topics of the report:

• Gazprom in Central Asia

  • Decline in demand for Central Asian gas
  • Geopolitics and business
  • Russia’s involvement in production projects
  • Purchase of Kyrgyzgaz

• China’s strengthening in the region

  • Resource assets of contracts with China
  • Expansion of the Central Asia-China main pipeline
  • Commercial conditions and technological problems of imports of Central Asian gas by the PRC
  • Competition of Russian gas against Central Asian gas on the Chinese market

• Southern Gas Corridor: regrouping of forces

  • Shah Deniz and other projects in Azerbaijan
  • Gas contracts
  • TANAP and TAP: preparations for construction

• Situation on gas markets in Southeastern Europe

  • Analysis of demand
  • Supplies infrastructure development in the region

• The future of South Stream

• Stake on Iran: is it worth?

  • Russia’s new old competitor in the region

• Forecast of developments

Contents of the report: