Contribution of Azerbaijan to the energy security of the European Union

Despite all progress connected with use of renewable energy sources it is widely known that fossil fuels will remain dominating in short - and medium-term prospects. Presently fossil fuels are made more, than three quarters of a global power mix, and in the next decade the level of their use will probably be the same. Among them there are crude oil and natural gas as widely used and globally sold energy resources which reserves unevenly distributed, are responsible to a large extent for energy security in the world. Therefore the relations between the European Union, one of the largest oil and gas consumers, and Azerbaijan, the supplier of energy whose location isn't really far from the EU attract special attention of many politicians and creators of public opinion in Europe. The Southern Gas Corridor which ceremony of start of the first stage was held on May 29, 1918 in Baku is one of priority projects for the EU, and provides transportation of 10 billion cubic meters of the Azerbaijani gas from the Caspian region through Georgia and Turkey to Europe by 2020 will be the first real diversification of gas coming in from the East. At an initial stage, the gas extracted within the second phase of development of the Azerbaijani gas-condensate field "Shah Deniz" is considered as the main source for the corridor. At later stage other sources can be attracted to the project. Gas within the second stage of Shah Deniz field will be exported to Turkey and to the European markets by expansion of the South Caucasian gas pipeline and construction of Trans-Anatolian (TANAP) and Trans-Adriatic (TAP) pipelines. The project involves two EU member states, Italy and Greece, candidate countries, Turkey and Albania, and Azerbaijan, the EU strategic partner in energy. Four different types of countries were involved: member states, candidate countries, associated partners and future strategic partners. The EU supported Southern Gas Corridor is directed to curtail Russian energy leverage over Eastern and Southeastern European countries which are heavily reliant on Russian gas deliveries. It opens up the direct access for the land locked Caspian states, primarily Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, to the European gas markets. This article describes development of the energy relations of the EU and the Republic of Azerbaijan. The energy needs and potential of these two partners are investigated and their main interests are defined. The main problems, opportunities and obstacles for power cooperation of the EU and Azerbaijan are discussed, and views of development of their principles of energy policy in the near future are considered. (paper)