It is rare that a great power in world politics, after decades of hostility with another country, turns around and suddenly seeks to embrace that country as a friend, if not an ally, yet this is what the recent American … Continue reading →
Keynote Speech to the Second Baku Forum of Association of Scholars of International Relations (ASIRS) These days people use the word “unprecedented” a lot. But there is a truly new international situation around the South Caucasus. Both Russia and Turkey … Continue reading →
High-level meetings between Asian partners for Canada’s energy resources have continued with the reception of the latter’s Governor General David Johnston by the formers Premier Li Keqiang. Johnston has a ceremonial role in the Canadian political system, so the meeting … Continue reading →
The fate of Ukraine’s gas transportation system is a bellwether for the political fate of Ukraine in the first half of the present century and beyond.
Continue reading →Prime Minister Stephen Harper expressed unhappiness with the decision to approve the purchase of the Canadian company Nexen by the Chinese “para-statal” company CNOOC, and suggested that it may be a one-off. This is unlikely, yet it still remains necessary … Continue reading →
Economic Papers 2. Washington, D.C.: George Washington University, Elliott School, Central Asia Program, September 2012. Kazakhstan’s policy of ‘resource nationalism’ scored another win in early 2012 when the North Caspian Operating Company (NCOC), which is managing the development of the … Continue reading →
Azerbaijan upstream activities in oil and gas are moving into Central Asia, with two deals recently signed, the last just a few days ago, to build oil refineries in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. New Azerbaijan upstream activities in Central Asia An … Continue reading →
Slower China growth is indicated as the headline figure increased at its lowest quarterly rate in three years, according to official data released at the weekend. Other indicators, however, gave mixed readings, leaving the prospect of further economic stimulus finely … Continue reading →
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq has announced a plan to construct an oil pipeline to Turkey with a volume of 1 million barrels per day (bpd), move hinting at tectonic shifts in the geo-economics and associated geopolitics … Continue reading →
Keynote speech to the Seventh Annual Eurasian Pipelines Colloquium, “Geo-Eco Politics, Eurasian Energy, and (elusive) Transparency,” School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University, 16 April 2012. Thank you. I have been asked to make some remarks on the theme … Continue reading →