Latest Articles about Energy
Turkish Government May Approve Construction of a Nuclear Power Plant in April
Russian Energy Minister Sergey Shmatko paid an official visit to Ankara to meet with Turkish Energy Minister Hilmi Guler. At the meeting, Shmatko inquired when the Turkish authorities would make their final decision to allow the Russian-Turkish consortium to build Turkey's first nuclear power plant.... MORE
China’s Inroads into East Timor
China was the first country to establish diplomatic relations with the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste—more commonly referred to as East Timor—when it gained formal independence on May 20, 2002 (China Brief, July 5, 2006). Since that time China has expanded its economic interests in East... MORE
Shaking Down the Turkic Brother? Turkey’s AKP Government Obstructs Azerbaijan’s Gas Outlet to Europe
During a recent public debate in Brussels on Turkey's energy policies, several panelists advised Turkey's Energy Minister Hilmi Guler, who participated in the panel, that Ankara is "overplaying its hand" by setting unacceptable terms for the transit of Azerbaijani gas to Europe. Such tactics in... MORE
Putin, Gazprom Bluffing to Hungarians on South Stream
On March 10 in Moscow, Gazprom and Hungary's Development Bank signed the initial documents for a joint venture to implement Gazprom's South Stream pipeline project on Hungarian territory. The respective chairmen, Alexei Miller and Janos Eros, signed the documents in the presence of Prime Ministers... MORE
MOL, Gazprom to Build Gas Storage Site in Hungary Independent of South Stream
On March 10 in Moscow, Hungary's privately-owned MOL oil and gas company signed an agreement with Gazprom Export in Moscow to jointly establish a gas storage company in Hungary. Prime Ministers Vladimir Putin and Ferenc Gyurcsany witnessed the signing. This project is separate from and,... MORE
Chancellor Merkel Says Nein to Nabucco
Shifting gears from an ostensible equidistance between pipeline projects, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has come out against proposals to use European Union funds to kick-start the Nabucco pipeline project for bringing Caspian gas to Europe. Although Germany was never interested in this project in a... MORE
Security Service Raids Ukrainian State Gas Companies
On March 4 and 5 armed units of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) conducted raids on the headquarters of Naftohaz Ukrainy, the state-owned oil and gas company, and UkrTranshaz, the operator of the Ukrainian gas pipeline company. According to a March 5 report by... MORE
Hungary’s MOL Driving Efforts to Interconnect Gas Markets
On March 3 the Hungarian gas transmission operator FGSZ—a subsidiary of MOL, the Hungarian oil and gas company—signed a contract with Croatia's state pipeline operator Plinacro to build an interconnector gas pipeline between the two countries. The project fits within MOL's strategy of promoting construction... MORE
Turkey’s Stalling on Nabucco Hurts Europe, Azerbaijan, and Itself: Part Two
Ankara's stalling tactics in the negotiations on the Western-backed Nabucco project (see EDM, March 4) are partly inspired by the AKP government's vision of a strategic partnership with Russia. Turkish officials have from time to time mooted the inclusion of Gazprom in the Nabucco project.... MORE
Turkey’s Stalling on Nabucco Hurts Europe, Azerbaijan, and Itself: Part One
During the recent Nabucco summit in Budapest on January 26 and 27 (see EDM, January 29, 30), EU Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs underscored the importance of signing the intergovernmental agreement on the Nabucco project by the time of the European Union's summit, to be hosted... MORE