Autumn 2003 (11.3)
Page 73

What's New in Print about Azerbaijan?
Oil Security

"Energy and Security in the Caucasus" by Emmanuel Karagiannis, discusses how pipelines have become a determinant of economic prosperity, national security and international power for those who control their routes. The converse is true for those who do not. Long-standing ethnic conflicts in Abkhazia, Nagorno-Karabakh, Chechnya and Kurdistan have further been fuelled by the ongoing competition over pipeline routes. The control of oil routes will determine the political and economic future of Russia, Turkey and the Caucasus as a whole. Pipelines in the Caucasus do not simply carry oil, but also define new corridors of trade and power.

This book challenges the assumption that pipeline development has increased incentives for peace settlements. No economically lucrative project can rapidly heal the wounds of ethnic conflicts with their deep historical roots in the Caucasus.

The author suggests that one risk-minimizing strategy would be to develop a multi-pipeline system that includes a route through Iran. Other strategies include the establishment of a legal framework to deter politically motivated cut-offs, the selection of strong local and international partners and various defense measures to protect the pipeline infrastructure from terrorist attacks.

Energy and Security in the Caucasus by Emmanuel Karagiannis, RoutledgeCurzon: London. 2002. ISBN 0-7007-1481-2. 232 pages. Hard bound. Contact: mkaragiannis@yahoo.com.



Back to Index AI 11.3 (Autumn 2003)
AI Home | Search | Magazine Choice | Topics | AI Store | Contact us

Other Web sites created by Azerbaijan International
AZgallery.org | AZERI.org | HAJIBEYOV.com