• SHQIPËRI
  • KOSOVË
  • MAQEDONIA E VERIUT
  • MALI I ZI
  • Revista në PDF
4 July, 2025
Edicion Special
  • Home
  • OP/ED

    Azerbaijan dismisses claims of involvement in Israel-Iran conflict

    Elite Purges: Internal Conflict or External Design?

    Trump’s Threat of U.S. Intervention in Iran Exposes Roots of Critics’ Fears

    Crisis-Born, Purpose-Seeking: Can the EPC Define Europe’s Strategic Future?

    Serbia’s Request to the ICJ Turned Resolution 1244 into a Closed Chapter and Kosovo’s Independence into an Internationally Recognized Reality

    Unpredictable world

    Promoting Arab Culture and Language in the Framework of Cultural Diversity and Dialogue.

    ‘A Tragic Circus’: Albanian PD Figures Lash Out After LaCivita-Backed Campaign Collapses

    Erosion of Liberal Democracy in Europe Complicates Canada’s Search for Like-Minded Allies

  • Interview

    Exclusive: “Even After Tito – Tito”/ Ambassador Zlatko Kramarić on Authoritarian Legacies and Democracy’s Future in the Balkans

    The Conclusion of the Diplomatic Mission / Ambassador Dancho Markovski: Strengthening Albania-North Macedonia Relations for a Shared European Future

    A Century of Diplomatic Relations Between Albania and Russia: Exclusive Interview with the Russian Ambassador to Albania, H.E. Alexey Zaytsev

    Exclusive/ The chairman of the Freedom Party, Ilir Meta: “The will of the citizens will triumph in Albania, as it did in North Macedonia”

    Exclusive/ The Russian Ambassador to Albania Mr. Mikhail Afanasiev: Russia only aims to end that war started by the West in Ukraine

    Exclusive/ Skopje’s top diplomat to Tirana, Dancho Markovski: OSCE Chairmanship a Project of National Importance for North Macedonia

    Exclusive interview of Croatian Ambassador Zlatko Kramaric: ‘There is progress in Croatian-Albanian relations, but it is still not enough’  

    The first anniversary of the appointment as Archbishop at the head of the Catholic Church/ Mons. Arjan Dodaj: Only God can be the author of our walk!

    Azerbaijan’s Ambassador Anar Huseynov: President Aliyev’s visit to Albania opened a new page in our relations through the specific accords reached

  • Realpolitik

    Summit G 6+1! The historic Summit and Trump show! Zelensky loses 0:2! Winners and losers of the 12 day war!

    Chancellor Merz passed “the exam”! Political stupidity! 5 per cent or study Russian! The Firing East!      

    A top phone call as disappointment! Exit from Brexit! Germany at the helm! End this political shame up!

    That’s it! The quartet of hope! Shame on Kosovo! The Summit of a Community without Identity!

    Only praises and prolises for Meloni! Facts versus untruths! Immediate ceasefire and genuine peace, no deal for new occupation! Back after 60 years !

    US nuclear tariff bomb!! Europa fires back! NATO ok, but with or without Article 5? Kallas urges reforms!

    Europe riarmed! Germany’s epochal shift! Spoiled soup! EU Commissioner Kos demands reforms!

    Europe tightens the ranks! The Euro-Atlantic Alliance in danger! USA-1945!! A true Peace, not new occupation!

    WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 20: President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC.  Trump takes office for his second term as the 47th president of the United States. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

    The law of force over the force of law! Multilateral diplomacy is the victim! Euro-Atlantism in danger! Munchen split the West!

  • Current Events

    When bridges divide more than rivers…

    Skopje Growth Plan Summit: Western Balkans Six Urged to Accelerate Reforms

    Summit G 6+1! The historic Summit and Trump show! Zelensky loses 0:2! Winners and losers of the 12 day war!

    The NATO Summit in 2027 will be held in Tirana.

    Exclusive: “Even After Tito – Tito”/ Ambassador Zlatko Kramarić on Authoritarian Legacies and Democracy’s Future in the Balkans

    Geneva meeting begins in bid to halt escalating Israel-Iran conflict

    From Donetsk to Northern Kosovo: Geopolitical Games with the Kosovo Precedent

    G7 leaders fail to reach ambitious joint agreements on key issues after Trump’s exit

    Where does Donald Trump stand on the Israel-Iran conflict?

  • Top News

    The NATO Summit in 2027 will be held in Tirana.

    NATO allies agree to allocate 5% of GDP to defense by 2035

    Reza Pahlavi: “This Is Our Berlin Wall Moment” — Exiled Prince Calls for Global Support as Iran Nears Regime Collapse

    Where does Donald Trump stand on the Israel-Iran conflict?

    Russia Proposes Second Round of Ukraine Peace Talks in Istanbul on June 2

    International leaders congratulate Prime Minister Rama after his victory in the parliamentary elections, securing a fourth term.

    Albania’s parliamentary elections competitive and well run but lacked level playing field, international observers say

    Top Ukrainian delegation arrives in Paris for talks with Western officials

    Marta Kos: Albania Making Rapid Progress Toward EU Integration

  • YOUR VOICE
  • Shqip
No Result
View All Result
Argumentum
  • Home
  • OP/ED

    Azerbaijan dismisses claims of involvement in Israel-Iran conflict

    Elite Purges: Internal Conflict or External Design?

    Trump’s Threat of U.S. Intervention in Iran Exposes Roots of Critics’ Fears

    Crisis-Born, Purpose-Seeking: Can the EPC Define Europe’s Strategic Future?

    Serbia’s Request to the ICJ Turned Resolution 1244 into a Closed Chapter and Kosovo’s Independence into an Internationally Recognized Reality

    Unpredictable world

    Promoting Arab Culture and Language in the Framework of Cultural Diversity and Dialogue.

    ‘A Tragic Circus’: Albanian PD Figures Lash Out After LaCivita-Backed Campaign Collapses

    Erosion of Liberal Democracy in Europe Complicates Canada’s Search for Like-Minded Allies

  • Interview

    Exclusive: “Even After Tito – Tito”/ Ambassador Zlatko Kramarić on Authoritarian Legacies and Democracy’s Future in the Balkans

    The Conclusion of the Diplomatic Mission / Ambassador Dancho Markovski: Strengthening Albania-North Macedonia Relations for a Shared European Future

    A Century of Diplomatic Relations Between Albania and Russia: Exclusive Interview with the Russian Ambassador to Albania, H.E. Alexey Zaytsev

    Exclusive/ The chairman of the Freedom Party, Ilir Meta: “The will of the citizens will triumph in Albania, as it did in North Macedonia”

    Exclusive/ The Russian Ambassador to Albania Mr. Mikhail Afanasiev: Russia only aims to end that war started by the West in Ukraine

    Exclusive/ Skopje’s top diplomat to Tirana, Dancho Markovski: OSCE Chairmanship a Project of National Importance for North Macedonia

    Exclusive interview of Croatian Ambassador Zlatko Kramaric: ‘There is progress in Croatian-Albanian relations, but it is still not enough’  

    The first anniversary of the appointment as Archbishop at the head of the Catholic Church/ Mons. Arjan Dodaj: Only God can be the author of our walk!

    Azerbaijan’s Ambassador Anar Huseynov: President Aliyev’s visit to Albania opened a new page in our relations through the specific accords reached

  • Realpolitik

    Summit G 6+1! The historic Summit and Trump show! Zelensky loses 0:2! Winners and losers of the 12 day war!

    Chancellor Merz passed “the exam”! Political stupidity! 5 per cent or study Russian! The Firing East!      

    A top phone call as disappointment! Exit from Brexit! Germany at the helm! End this political shame up!

    That’s it! The quartet of hope! Shame on Kosovo! The Summit of a Community without Identity!

    Only praises and prolises for Meloni! Facts versus untruths! Immediate ceasefire and genuine peace, no deal for new occupation! Back after 60 years !

    US nuclear tariff bomb!! Europa fires back! NATO ok, but with or without Article 5? Kallas urges reforms!

    Europe riarmed! Germany’s epochal shift! Spoiled soup! EU Commissioner Kos demands reforms!

    Europe tightens the ranks! The Euro-Atlantic Alliance in danger! USA-1945!! A true Peace, not new occupation!

    WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 20: President Donald Trump signs executive orders in the Oval Office on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC.  Trump takes office for his second term as the 47th president of the United States. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

    The law of force over the force of law! Multilateral diplomacy is the victim! Euro-Atlantism in danger! Munchen split the West!

  • Current Events

    When bridges divide more than rivers…

    Skopje Growth Plan Summit: Western Balkans Six Urged to Accelerate Reforms

    Summit G 6+1! The historic Summit and Trump show! Zelensky loses 0:2! Winners and losers of the 12 day war!

    The NATO Summit in 2027 will be held in Tirana.

    Exclusive: “Even After Tito – Tito”/ Ambassador Zlatko Kramarić on Authoritarian Legacies and Democracy’s Future in the Balkans

    Geneva meeting begins in bid to halt escalating Israel-Iran conflict

    From Donetsk to Northern Kosovo: Geopolitical Games with the Kosovo Precedent

    G7 leaders fail to reach ambitious joint agreements on key issues after Trump’s exit

    Where does Donald Trump stand on the Israel-Iran conflict?

  • Top News

    The NATO Summit in 2027 will be held in Tirana.

    NATO allies agree to allocate 5% of GDP to defense by 2035

    Reza Pahlavi: “This Is Our Berlin Wall Moment” — Exiled Prince Calls for Global Support as Iran Nears Regime Collapse

    Where does Donald Trump stand on the Israel-Iran conflict?

    Russia Proposes Second Round of Ukraine Peace Talks in Istanbul on June 2

    International leaders congratulate Prime Minister Rama after his victory in the parliamentary elections, securing a fourth term.

    Albania’s parliamentary elections competitive and well run but lacked level playing field, international observers say

    Top Ukrainian delegation arrives in Paris for talks with Western officials

    Marta Kos: Albania Making Rapid Progress Toward EU Integration

  • YOUR VOICE
  • Shqip
No Result
View All Result
Argumentum
No Result
View All Result
Home ENGLISH

Caspian summit and Russia’s gas project

6 July, 2022
in ENGLISH, Global, In Focus
A A
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Assoc. Prof. Dmitry V. Shlapentokh*

2022 Summit of the Caspian States was held in Turkmenistan’s capital of Ashgabat and it engaged all countries bordering the Caspian Sea; namely Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan.

The meeting was quite important for Russia, indicated by the fact that Russian President Vladimir Putin personally attended the meeting first time after the war in Ukraine. Thus, it is understandable to interpret his visit in the context of the Ukrainian war. Putin’s interest in the Caspian Sea is mostly driven by economic factors relating to Russia’s “turn to the East,” rather than military or geopolitical considerations.

The problem with trade routes

With the beginning of the war, the direct route to Europe — Russia’s main economic partner and gateway to the world market — was effectively closed off. There have been problems even with regard to sending mails, which was not the case even during the Cold War.

As a result, Moscow started to look for alternative options. Here, the Far East has become a valid alternative. However, the capacity of the Trans-Siberian and even the Baikal-Amur railroads is limited. Thus, the new route through the Caspian Sea to the south emerged in the minds of the Kremlin folk. Potentially, it might offer Russia an alternative route to the Persian Gulf.

In this new route, the Caspian Sea emerged as an important segment. Iran also became an important player in this context, which explains Moscow’s increased interest in Tehran. Even though the Caspian Sea is a part of the new route, it is not the main factor driving the Kremlin’s interest in the region. The main factor driving Putin’s interest in the meeting and particularly in Turkmenistan was the significance of the Caspian Sea countries in gas transportation and consumption.

Caspian Sea and potential gas route

The majority of Russia’s economic activity is focused on exports, and gas is a major source of revenue for the Kremlin. Western Europe had been the main market for Russian gas for decades, and the Kremlin had long sought to prevent the development of other alternatives. The Kremlin turned on a Chinese direction after 2014. Siberian power was finished, and new gas lines were planned. Beijing is aware of Russia’s situation though, as the European direction was questionable even before the current war. Yet, the situation became even more dire after the conflict began. Even North Stream 1 is now in danger after North Stream 2 was reduced to a pile of scrap metal at the bottom of the Baltic Sea.

Members of the EU intend to use as little Russian gas as possible to begin with. It is true that some countries of the European Union, including Hungary, kept purchasing Russian gas. However, the main customer, Germany, seems to be adamant in its goal to reduce its dependence on Russian gas. Germany appears ready to return to domestically produced coal, despite its environmental consequences. Western markets are declining and possibly could be closed completely by the EU. The Kremlin, on the other hand, plans to shut down gas delivery completely on its own, assuming that it would lead to economic and political crisis in the EU.

Moscow’s problems are well known to Beijing, which has requested significant discounts. Moscow used the following tactics in this circumstance: First, to prevent Europeans from receiving gas from alternative sources. Second, to look for new markets in Asia. Here, Azerbaijan and particularly Turkmenistan play a crucial role.

Turkmenistan and the Caspian summit

One of the main factors in Putin’s decision to attend the summit was the significance of gas projects in his objectives. One should keep in mind that Turkmenistan, a small and underdeveloped Central Asian country, is unlikely to cause Russia any military or geostrategic problems. Putin did, however, recently express special interest in Turkmenistan.

Putin invited Serdar Berdymakhamedov, who recently succeeded his father as president, to Moscow in June 2022. It was announced that the Russian and Turkmen leaders would meet “on a regular basis.” Putin paid special attention to both the past and current Turkmen leaders during the Caspian summit and implied that Russia and Turkmenistan could engage in profitable deals. In his statement at the meeting, he also emphasized the significance of protecting the Caspian Sea’s ecosystem.

How are Putin’s actions related to one another? Putin conveys to Turkmen officials that Moscow would be pleased to help the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project (TAPI), which was initiated by Turkmenistan to supply gas to India and Pakistan via Afghanistan. Yet in the past, Moscow paid little attention to the project since it was preoccupied with European markets. There was also a war in Afghanistan. The circumstance had now changed. On the one hand, Moscow began to view India and Pakistan as significant alternatives to not only the markets of Europe but also those of China.

The war was over, and the Taliban — who were in a terrible financial situation due to the end of the war — expressed a strong interest in the project. Moscow also established a working relationship with Kabul. All this implied overture toward Turkmenistan. Putin hinted at Moscow’s proposal when he met with Turkmen leaders at the summit: Russia is willing to help build TAPI as long as it sends its own gas along with Turkmen gas.

Putin’s elaboration on the importance of the Caspian Sea’s ecology had a different message. In accordance with the 2018 agreement, governments bordering the Caspian Sea may construct gas pipelines there. Still, all Caspian Sea states had to agree that this could not harm the environment. The provision effectively prevented Turkmenistan from delivering its gas to Europe via Azerbaijan, and Putin made it clear that Russia’s will would still be followed.


Conclusion

One should not see Russia’s or other countries’ modus operandi in the context of just one paradigm. Putin’s goal in the Caspian Sea is more economically pragmatic than it is in Ukraine, where he was forced to compromise economic pragmatism for geopolitics./AA

Related Posts

Balkan Overview

When bridges divide more than rivers…

3 July, 2025
Current Events

Summit G 6+1! The historic Summit and Trump show! Zelensky loses 0:2! Winners and losers of the 12 day war!

30 June, 2025
ENGLISH

Azerbaijan dismisses claims of involvement in Israel-Iran conflict

29 June, 2025

Follow US

Subscribe

Receive Argumentum Magazine by Email

Last Posts

When bridges divide more than rivers…

3 July, 2025

Skopje Growth Plan Summit: Western Balkans Six Urged to Accelerate Reforms

1 July, 2025

Summit G 6+1! The historic Summit and Trump show! Zelensky loses 0:2! Winners and losers of the 12 day war!

30 June, 2025

Azerbaijan dismisses claims of involvement in Israel-Iran conflict

29 June, 2025

The NATO Summit in 2027 will be held in Tirana.

25 June, 2025
Argumentum

“Argumentum”, një proces intelektual …

Contact Us

[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]

Follow Us

Media Partner

Register

Receive Argumentum Magazine by Email
  • Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • About Us
  • Contact

© 2022 Argumentum. All Rights Reserved. | NUIS: L91415033Q

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • OP/ED
  • Interview
  • Realpolitik
  • Current Events
  • Top News
  • YOUR VOICE
  • Shqip

© 2022 Argumentum. All Rights Reserved. | NUIS: L91415033Q

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.