NATO and the Energy Security of the Caspian and the Black Sea Regions

Ensuring energy security has been among paramount priorities of the major European countries since the 1980s. Different diversification projects have been discussed in this regard which were designed to carry Russian or the Caspian natural gas through onshore or underwater pipelines from the East to the West. The emergence of Russia as a heavyweight monopoly-oriented player in the European energy market has brought a new dimension to the traditional East-West energy dialogue. Nowadays, Russia's energy policy is a serious concern for economic and political stability in many European countries, including EU and NATO members. So far, the EU has been struggling to develop and pursue a truly common energy policy, raising questions about whether NATO should take over this role or not. This paper argues that under these circumstances, it is vital that energy issues be scrutinized through a security lens, and that EU and NATO should coordinate their efforts in this area. Moreover, it also concludes that leaving Ukraine and/or Turkey outside the European energy policy would definitely weaken both EU and NATO.