AN ANALYSIS OF THE PUBLIC DIPLOMACY OF THE EUROPEAN UNION AND RUSSIA ON EURASIAN PROJECT JUST AFTER THE COLD WAR

Authors : Emel POYRAZ

Pages : 1-27

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Publication Date : 2012-12-12

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Thi s a r t i cl e focu s e s o n th e diverging a nd conve r g i n g i nt eres t s of the Europea n   Un i on a nd R us s i a on   E u ra s i a n   Project   e s pecial l y co n ce rnin g the g r eat game on energy pol i tics ju s t after th e C old W a r. It was di s cus s ed the post - Sov i et era po l i tical relations between the EU and Ru s sia wit hin t he ax i s of the Com mo n w ea lth of the Independent States. Whi l e the C a u ca s u s ha d become  the new "B l ack S i l k R oa d " w h e r e the transportation   routed   for oil and ga s from the  C a s p i a n Sea to the B l a ck Sea and marketed   in E u rop e , the perception   in th e region wa s that whoever contro l the Caucas u s wo uld co ntrol the pipelines. Russia h a d made c l ear that th e C a u cas u s and Ce ntra l As i a was one o f it s top strategic priorities. The oi l a nd gas re s erve s of t he   E u ra s i a wa s vita l   to Weste rn geo - strategic and economic i n terests too. S o d e mocracy   ba s ed pub Ii c dip l omacy of th e E urop ean   Union   has i n sisted that they h a ve th e potentia l   to s ec u r e pro s perity and eco nomi c growt h bo l stered by low oi l   pri ces. ln add it i on , th es e re s ourc es were key to e n s u ri ng reven u e s and the sove r eig nty of the Newly   I nd e pend e nt State s wit h   t h em. The wea lth brought   by oil co ul d   fue l both   econom ic a nd democratic deve l op m e nt i n E u ra s ia a nd fostered the ind epe nd e n ce and freedom of countries wh i ch served i n turn a s a n ob s tac l e to p ote ntial Russian   imp eria l expans i on . On the other hand, how Russ i an i m p e ri a l ism i n Eu rasian Project reacted his s ituati o n was also analysed. The R ussi a n   m il ita r y a nd   po li tica l   stab l i s hm ent was atte m pting to im po s e a sp h e r e of   i nfl u ence on the C I S and to secu r e contro l of the r eg i on 's energy as well as Western   an d regiona l   countr i e s . Control ove r the r eg i on ' s energy resources and export routes out of the Eura s ia n hi n ter l and wa s q u ickly becoming one of th e ce ntral i ss u es i n the post -Co ld War pol i tic s . L i ke the "Great Game" of the ea rl y 20' 11   centu ry , in wh i ch the geopo l i tica l i nt erests of t h e British   Emp i r e and R us s ia had c l ashed over the Caucasus regio n and Central As ia , today ' s s truggle between   Rus s i a and the West turned   on w h o contro l s the oil  r eserves   i n E u ra s ia. The pu b l i c d i plomacy of Europea n Un i o n was trying to e n sure that Russia was  n o t a domi nant , but rather an eq u a l partner i n deve l op i n g the o i l resource s of the region. EU wanted Russian o i l a nd ga s compan i es shou ld be a ll owed to participate in the develop­ment of Eura s ia n energy r e sources on an equitab l e basis with ot h er countr i es in the region. There was al s o a k i nd of coord i nation and cooperat ion between the EU and United States of Ame ri ca , much of the i r work   was done on the basis of the New Transat l antic Agenda.
Keywords : European Union, Russia, Commonwealth Of Independent States, Eurasia, Energy, Public Diplomacy, Soft Power