European Union's natural gas trade with Russia: Competing priorities of supply security and supply diversification

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Tezin Türü: Yüksek Lisans

Tezin Yürütüldüğü Kurum: Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi, İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi, Uluslararası İlişkiler Bölümü, Türkiye

Tezin Onay Tarihi: 2012

Öğrenci: AYŞE ESRA AYDIN

Danışman: OKTAY FIRAT TANRISEVER

Özet:

This thesis examines the bilateral relations of European Union and Russia in terms of energy trade. The main question of this thesis is whether European Union could realize its energy strategies of supply security and supply diversification in its natural gas trade with Russia. The main argument of this thesis is; Russia has been undermining the EU’s energy strategy, by using the contradictions between the EU’s energy strategy priorities of supply security and supply diversification. Emphasizing the significance of supply security for the European Union, Russia undermines the EU-sponsored projects of supply diversification. The fact that, Russia will be the principal supplier of natural gas to Europe, is likely remain as the key actor in energy market of EU. However, Russia is also dependent on EU for its hydrocarbon exports. Consequently Russia’s role as EU’s primary supplier in natural gas , and EU’s role as Russia’s main hydrocarbon importer, are likely to be the main factor that will continue to shape the thereon energy security in the foreseeable future.