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Journal of East-European and Asian Studies
Vol. 1, No. 1, April 2009
Threads in the canvas. Pipeline politics and the economization of the Russian foreign policy in the Black Sea region
Paula Ganga*
The Black Sea region has primarily been a space dominated by security concerns. Yet, since the beginning of the Putin administration, a slow shift has occurred from the traditionally prevalent “high politics” towards economic preeminence. Using the framework of analysis of Putin’s foreign policy developed by Bertil Nygren based on the regional security complex theory of Barry Buzan and Ole Waever, the paper will analyze this assumption from the perspective of 3 foreign policy arenas: politico-military, politico-economic and politico-cultural. Supporting the point of view that the economic aspect has been gaining unprecedented importance in the Russian foreign policy, the paper will argue that no other geographical area has shown this trend as much as the former area of Soviet influence, especially the Black Sea and the major pipeline projects that are currently being developed in the region.
Introduction
In an address to the NATO Defense College in 2005, President of the Center for International Security and Strategic Studies (CISSS) Alexander Goncharenko pointed out that ”from a classical geopolitical point of view, the Wider Black Sea region is one of the cornerstones of Euro-Asian stability and security. (...) Control over this region determines control of Euro-Asia both today and in the future. For this reason the Black Sea area and Ukraine in particular, has been a center of gravity for the geopolitical, political-military, financial-economic and other interests of the main global and regional powers.” The intertwining of these interests creates in the region a great level of interconnection, between actors at supranational, national and domestic levels. In this canvas of relations, energy connections such as pipelines and energy contracts create a strong structure holding together the fine thread linking the countries of this borderland.
A crucial role in setting the patterns on the regional fabric is Russia. The recent assertiveness of the Russian Federation in the international
* A recent graduate of Oxford University’s Department of International Development, St. Antony’s College, where she obtained an M.Sc. degree in Global Governance, the author was educated in Romania, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, and France, Sciences Po Lille. Currently, she is working on a Romanian-language book on the energy dimension of the EU-Russia relationship and its consequences for EU’s new member states.