Samalekis, Konstantinos

2015-09-27T06:05:14Z

https://repository.ihu.edu.gr//xmlui/handle/11544/752

The European Union’s Energy Dependency on Russia

Focusing on Natural Gas Sector and the emerging role of Greece

EU-Russian Relations

Energy Security

en

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0

2015-01

This dissertation was written as part of the MA in Black Sea Cultural Studies at the International Hellenic University. The purpose of this Thesis is to analyze from a spherical angle the EU-Russian energy relations. By approaching them from the perspective of the Neoliberal theory of International Relations, emphasis was placed beyond the overall background of the relations between the two sides, to the Institutional framework by which are governed, the EU’s vulnerability in the Natural Gas sector but also to the existing or the under planning EU-Russian energy infrastructure networks in order to be more easily understood the case argued in this dissertation: the EU-Russian relationship is not an one-sided over dependent relationship where the Russian energy is of vital importance for the EU, but the two sides are tied by a relationship of excessive mutual interdependence through which are served the vital interests of both, as respectively, the Russian economy could not be maintained viable without the revenue from the energy trade with European countries. In the context of this interdependence that is not easy to change immediately given the complexity that characterizes such geopolitical issues, is also examined the EU’s perspective for gradual diversification of its gas supplies from the Caspian region with a particular emphasis on the emerging role of Greece as an energy hub, from where the EU would be able to import energy in the future either from Central Asia or the newly discovered deposits of the Southeastern Mediterranean, thus enhancing its Energy Security.

Karagiannis, Prof Emmanouil

Sotiriou, S.

School of Humanities, MA in Black Sea & Eastern Mediterranean Studies

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