The Central Eurasian Hydrocarbon Energy Complex: From Central Asia to Central Europe

This chapter focuses on understanding current developments in the Central Eurasian hydrocarbon energy complex and their relationship to the European Union's (EU) 'Southern Corridor' strategy for insuring energy provisions from the Caspian Sea basin. In relation to Central Asia, this chapter concentrates on the evolution of energy development and export strategy in Turkmenistan; in relation to the South Caucasus, it concentrates on Azerbaijan. The current chapter focuses on the most recent energy geo-economic developments in Greater Central Asia and in Greater Southwest Asia, on the basis of the background that has been presented. The last two major sections of the chapter moved from Central Asia to the circum-Caspian region; this one now moves further west to examine Azerbaijan's situation and the European Union's implementation of its 'Southern Corridor' strategy for energy transit from the Caspian Sea basin to Europe. Keywords:Azerbaijan; Caspian Sea basin; Central Asia; Central Eurasian Hydrocarbon Energy Complex; European Union's (EU); Turkmenistan