Nr 109 • September 2012

Russia-Turkey Energy Ties: Cooperation with Conflict

Energy relations between Russian and Turkey have long been characterized by overt friendship and subtle competition. Along with its booming economy, Turkey’s demand for energy has surged in recent years, growing faster than in almost any other country except China. Turkey must acquire almost all its oil and gas from foreign sources, primarily Russia. The large volume of oil and especially natural gas that Turkey regularly imports from Russia goes far toward explaining why Russia has become Turkey’s largest trading partner, displacing Germany in 2008.

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Baltic Energy Security: Today’s Historic Opportunity

For the first time in modern history, the Baltic states can rely on their own actions to attain energy security. By implementing the European Union’s reforms aimed at creating a unified European energy market, the political leaders of Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia are enabling their countries to secure supplies of oil, natural gas, and electricity at prices determined by market forces rather than by monopolists with divergent commercial and geopolitical interests.

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Covert Games of Russia’s Foreign Policy

Published in March, Edward Lucas’s book Deception dissects a hidden facet of Russia’s foreign policy – a shadowy game of spies and dirty money, where destroying human lives is part and parcel of the great powers’ and especially Russia’s power plays. In the opening chapters of the book, Lucas describes the imprisonment of Russian attorney Sergei Magnitsky, his death at the hands of the authorities, and how, according to Lucas, his only proven sin was his antagonistic stance towards the Kremlin’s interests. The detailed description of Magnitsky’s case sets the tone for the rest of the book – in Lucas’s opinion, it must be clear to everybody what Russia is capable of, and he warns Western nations that if they do not do anything about Russia and its spies, they veer dangerously close to becoming more and more similar to Russia. Lucas is International Editor of The Economist and his background includes decades-long interest in Russia, Eastern Europe and the Baltic states.

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Summary

This issue of Diplomaatia focuses mainly on topics related to energy security. In addition, the issue features an article to mark the 10th anniversary of the International Criminal Court, which held a seminar on the occasion in Tallinn on September 10. The book review section is dedicated to spies and lies thanks to Edward Lucas’s excellent work of investigative journalism.

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