«DILEMMA
of RUSSIAN ENERGY POLICY IN
CENTRAL ASIA (on the EXAMPLE of KAZAKHSTAN»
Phd student Aidarkhanova E., professor Movkebayeva G.
Al-Farabi KazNU
Faculty of International Relations
The peculiarity of
energy cooperation is its leading role for the Russian Federation and Central
Asian countries in both economic and political cooperation. Energy - the
strongest side of the Russian Federation
to advance its interests in the international arena. In economics and politics
Central Asian states, as noted above, the energy sector plays a crucial role [1].
Note that the energy
cooperation between Russia and the Central Asian countries has a long history:
established preserved since Soviet times communication between enterprises and
worked out areas of cooperation. Until 2005, Russia had the monopoly of
transport (pipelines and gas pipelines) for the delivery of Central Asian
hydrocarbons. Consequently, interest in energy cooperation is mutual: for
Russia it serves as the main tool of economic cooperation in Central Asia and
the conductor of the Russian political and economic influence. Cooperation is
also reliably serves the plans of integration of Russia with the countries of
the Central African Republic, allowing to maintain and develop the already
established relations, patterns of interaction.
In turn, in the
energy sector of the Central Asian countries face serious social and political
risks associated with their objective inability of their own, without
substantial foreign aid to solve the complex problems of development. They need
and are looking for foreign partners for the development of the energy sector.
One of the main partners has traditionally been Russia.
Energy cooperation
between Russia and the Central Asian states is diverse in nature and is carried
out both in the format of regional and subregional organizations (CIS, SCO),
and through bilateral or trilateral intergovernmental cooperation in specific
energy projects.
Within the framework
of the CIS Russia is the leader in the power industry among the former
republics of the USSR, it was possible to synchronize the grid 14 CIS and
Baltic countries, including the five states - EurAsEC members, thereby laying
the foundation for the formation of a single electricity market. It should be
remembered that during the Soviet Central Asian power grid and Russia were not
connected. Currently grid work in parallel. This allowed the import of cheap
surplus Kyrgyz and Tajik electricity for the needs of Russia.
In 2007, Russia,
Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Armenia signed an agreement on
the formation of a common energy market of the CIS. The combined energy market
should open access to producers and consumers of electricity in the markets of
all participating countries. According to the EurAsEC line back in 2003,
"Fundamentals of the energy policy of the Member States of the Eurasian
Economic Community" were adopted. The main priorities of the EurAsEC
activities in the energy sector hailed the joint development of hydropower
complexes of Central Asia and the solution to the problem of energy supply and
water management, access to a single energy balance [2].
We know that in the
framework of the SCO proclaimed the task of creating a perspective of a
single-member countries energy space to harmonize the interests of the
producers, transporters and consumers of energy resources. In this perspective,
we discuss the creation of the SCO Energy Club Members. SCO Energy Club,
according to experts, is made up of exporters, transit countries and energy consumers
[3]. Bilateral and trilateral energy cooperation between Russia and the Central
Asian countries affected by the economic, scientific, engineering and
manufacturing sector. The projects are implemented on the basis of the
concluded intergovernmental agreements and contracts of varying complexity and
varying urgency, in some cases - in the framework of long-term programs, which
confirms the great political importance attached by the parties involved energy
cooperation. Operational cooperation at the level of economic level - current
interaction between enterprises, firms, organizations without direct government
intervention, but on the basis of international agreements concluded. At the
same time Russia is, as a rule, in the role of the leader, the initiator of
various projects.
The energy
cooperation involving all the energy sector: oil, gas, electricity, nuclear
power, coal. The choice of the area and the type of energy cooperation is a
kind of indicator of the political and economic needs of the site or Russia and
its partners in cooperation at this particular time, and clearly indicates the
direction of the interests of Russia.
In the Russian
economy: acting as a direct seller (buyer) of oil and gas of Central Asian
partners (Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan) for the purpose of resale to third
countries customers;
- Conducting
international marketing to potential consumers of oil and gas in the interests
of exporting countries (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan); acquiring
(importing) the excess electricity for the needs of domestic industry
(Tajikistan, Kazakhstan); exports electricity (Kazakhstan);
- Invest in energy
projects and national programs (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan,
Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan);
- It has
traditionally played the role of transit of oil and gas (Kazakhstan,
Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan);
- Carries out
exploration and calculates probable reserves of fuel and raw material deposits
(Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan).
In the engineering
field Russia: stands developer of raw deposits (uranium - Kazakhstan, coal -
Kyrgyzstan, oil and gas in the Caspian region - Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan,
Turkmenistan); carries out design-designing and engineering preparation of the
projects, construction companies, pipelines, hydroelectric power station, and
so on. etc .; builder performs FEC objects - for example, joint participation
in the construction of oil and gas pipelines ( "Caspian" - together
with Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan), Sangtuda and Rogun HPP in Tajikistan:
- Participates in
the extraction and processing of hydrocarbons from Central African Republic;
- Carries out
adjustment, maintenance, engineering and technical support of the relevant
equipment;
- Provide direct
technical assistance.
However, it should
be noted that the implementation of the practical problems of energy
cooperation between Russia and Central Asian countries have traditionally
favored bilateral cooperation in comparison with its multilateral forms that
narrows the possibilities for energy cooperation. In turn, the bilateral cooperation
is diversified depending on the direction of energy policy and the needs of
specific countries, political, economic, energy needs of Russia in this region,
the impact of the international situation.
Russia - Kazakhstan.
Cooperation in the energy sector is a leading area of
Russian-Kazakh cooperation and carried out in the sectors of oil
and gas, nuclear power, electricity.
Cooperation in the
energy sector is vital to both Kazakhstan and Russia. Mutually ensuring each
other's markets, reduced pricing for the border regions of the missing fossil
fuels favor the development of the economic life of the two republics. A
Russian pipeline system carried out the main oil exports of Kazakhstan, transit
through the CPC pipeline Kazakh oil (Caspian Pipeline Consortium) to
Novorossiysk. Russia also provides procurement and marketing of Kazakh natural
gas supplies to the markets of third countries, processing and transportation;
implementation of joint projects for the development of hydrocarbon resources in
the northern Caspian Sea. In the nuclear power industry - the development of
uranium deposits in Kazakhstan. In the electric power industry of Russia and
Kazakhstan power system operating in parallel.
The cooperation
between Kazakhstan and Russia in the energy sector was initiated in the first
half of the 1990s., But only intensified in 2002 with the conclusion of the
Agreement on the transit of Kazakh oil through Russia for a period of 15 years
[4]. First Kazakhstan needed each year to conclude an agreement on
transportation of hydrocarbons on the Russian pipeline system, connecting it
with Europe. Under the Agreement in 2002 Kazakhstan was guaranteed an annual
export volume of over 15 million. Tons of petroleum products. Russia, in turn,
had an opportunity to carry out pumping its oil through the territory of
Kazakhstan in Kazakh pipeline systems.
Kazakhstan is a
traditional importer of electricity from Russia. Development cooperation in the
power sector was the signing in 2000 of the Treaty on the parallel operation of
power systems of Kazakhstan and Russia. This document became the basis for the
creation of a common energy market of the two countries, and we note the actual
restoration of parallel operation of power systems of Central Asia, and further
contributes to the formation of a common electricity market in the framework of
integration associations Evraziysky Economic Union.
The turning point in
the relations between Russia and Kazakhstan in the energy sector began in 2006.
First, most bilateral agreements in this area have remained on paper and not
implemented due to disagreements between the parties in the price of gas
purchased by Russia. Kazakhstan has repeatedly stated the need to increase the
purchase prices for the "Gazprom" in 2002 offered to "Gazprom"
to create a joint venture to export its gas to the EU, but in the face of
Russian "Gazprom" did not yield. This has forced Kazakhstan to
intensify the search for new energy partners.
During the visit of
President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev to Russia in April 2006, he and
Russian President Vladimir Putin during a joint press conference after the
meeting called for increased cooperation in the military and energy sectors.
"We will continue to work to strengthen the integration process in the
post-Soviet space. Energy is one of the most fundamental areas of our
cooperation ", - said Russian President Vladimir Putin [5]. In turn,
President Nursultan Nazarbayev supported the presence of Russian military bases
in Central Asia and the participation of Russian companies in oil production in
Kazakhstan. At this meeting, the leaders of both countries signed an agreement
on joint development of the Kurmangazy Kazakh field. The project cost is
estimated at $ 23 billion [6].
At
the beginning of May 2006 Energy and Mineral Resources Minister of Kazakhstan
Bahtykozha Izmuhambetov energokomissarom at a meeting with EU Andris Piebalgs
said that his country is ready to build the Trans-Caspian gas pipeline via
Turkey to Western Europe, and in 2015 to supply 20 billion [7] gas bypassing Russia . In addition, Kazakhstan has
started to express their intention to support the creation of an export channel
gas from Turkmenistan to China. And at the end of May 2006, the meeting of the
Presidents of Kazakhstan and Russia in the Sochi residence of the President of
the Russian Federation all the differences on the most topical issues of energy
cooperation between the two countries have been finalized. By the end of 2006,
two of the Kazakh-Russian joint venture on a parity basis were established.
Another important topic of energy cooperation between the two countries is
related to the new offshore fields in the Caspian Sea, Russian companies are
developing "LUKOIL" and Gazprom [8].
It
is important to note that the Russian and Kazakh energy cooperation is not only
bilaterally but also in the framework of international organizations: it is the
representatives of Russia and Kazakhstan raised the question of the
establishment of the SCO Energy Club, which should consist of exporters,
transit countries and consumers. The main exporters within the organization,
are precisely Russia and Kazakhstan, and they are also transit.
Speaking
at the Forum of interregional cooperation of Kazakhstan and Russia September
11, 2009 in Orenburg, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev called the major joint
energy projects in Russia and Kazakhstan a joint venture at the Orenburg gas
processing plant, construction of the third power unit of Ekibastuz GRES-2 and
expressed the hope more close cooperation in the framework of the Caspian
pipeline consortium [9].
In
addition to cooperation in the oil and gas sector, and expand contacts in the
field of nuclear energy. It should be noted that more than 70% of the entire
Soviet uranium mined on the territory of Kazakhstan. In March 2004, the heads
of the relevant departments of the Russian Federation and Kazakhstan, are
responsible for the condition and the development of nuclear energy, signed a
protocol in Alma-Ata. In 2009, in Orenburg, it was agreed to establish a joint
Russian-Kazakh nuclear energy company. Russian President also called for the
exchange of energy between the two countries. After the accident at the Russian
Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric power station, according to the Russian
leadership, especially important to integrate the power system of Siberia with
the European part of the country through the grid of Kazakhstan, as well as
increased transmission line capacity on the route Urals - Kazakhstan - Siberia.
By solving these major problems, according to the president of Russia, it
depends on the welfare of the vast Siberian region.
These
are the main stages of energy cooperation between Russia and Kazakhstan.
Obviously, this cooperation is developing, has concrete prospects for a long
period and generate interest and pressing needs of both countries.
At
present, Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan moved into its
calculations for the gas to market prices. It has allowed many to settle
differences in pricing between Russia and Central Asian gas exporters [10].
Thus,
energy cooperation is a "locomotive" of economic and political
spheres of Russia's cooperation with Central Asian countries. In this key
sector of not only improving existing mechanisms for bilateral relations, but
also the foundations of the multilateral co-operation, are "run"
forward-looking integration schemes. In general, in this crucial for the
economies of Russia and Central Asian countries will reach the area in recent
years, significant progress, developed and implemented a specific large-scale
projects. At the same time, we should pay attention to the fact that energy
cooperation prevails development of fuel and raw materials and the mining
sector and related industries. This one-sidedness is unlikely to solve the problem
of the revival of the processing industry and ensure effective innovation and
industrial development in the countries of Central Asia and Russia.
In
the energy sector, as noted above, Russia and the countries of the region
cooperate to this point takes place with an emphasis on bilateral cooperation,
mainly in areas is a priority for the specific Central Asian states. For
example, in cooperation with Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan priorities are electric
power and exploration of fuel resources, with Turkmenistan - Cooperation in the
gas sector with Uzbekistan - in the sector of oil and gas, and the most
extensive energy cooperation is carried out with Kazakhstan (oil, gas,
electricity, nuclear energy).
Bilateral
cooperation has its advantages, however, if we talk about energy cooperation
between Russia and Central Asia as a whole, in recent years emerged
contradictions in hydropower in connection with the use of water resources.
Obvious growing competition of the Central Asian countries themselves for
markets. There roll in raw-material orientation of the regional economy and
exports. All these and many other problems can be solved only by joint efforts
of all interested countries of Central Asia and Russia.
In
addition, the emphasis on bilateral cooperation opens unobstructed space
activities of other international players in the CAR space does not allow to
cover the whole range of issues of Russian energy cooperation with Central
Asian countries. Bilateral cooperation can not prevent dangerous not only economically,
but also politically competition due to supply and energy prices. Suffice it to
recall recurring Russian political disagreements with Uzbekistan because of the
price and quantity of gas purchased by Russia, a similar conflict with
Turkmenistan, which affect the complex political relations.
Nevertheless,
we are in the course of our study tried to find some of the arguments against
the conventional conclusion. For example, to answer the question by analyzing
the words of experts, whether it is possible to cooperate with the countries of
the world in the energy sector and not to depend on Russia? According to this,
we are now we spend intent- discus and analyzes that will help us in this
matter. The main specialists of our sociological analysis are G.Movkebaeva
Professor, Professor Richard Weitz, a professor of Martha Olkott and other
experts in the field of energy security.
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