The Role of the Caspian Energy Game in Central Asian History

Abstract

One significant geopolitical consequence of the demise of the Soviet Union was the rise of intense political and commercial competition for control over the vast energy resources of the newly independent and vulnerable states of the Caucasus and Central Asia. Following the collapse of Communism, the ex-Soviet republics of Central Asia, particularly Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, have been trying to exploit their natural resources, since they consider oil to be the prime means of securing their economic and political independence. This article is an independent analysis of the main issues facing the oil and gas sector developments in the countries of the former Soviet Union gifted with major petroleum resources: Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan in Transcaucasia. Will Caspian oil redraw the global energy map? What is the importance of the Caspian oil for the world market? And what is Caspian energy potential in Central Asian history?