http://natoassociation.ca/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Trans-Caspian-Pipeline-Geopolitical-Commission-ESPPP01.pdf
Author: Robert M. Cutler
Robert M. Cutler earned his doctorate at The University of Michigan after
receiving two Bachelor's degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology. After over a dozen years in leading universities in Canada,
France, Russia, Switzerland and the United States, he expanded into policy
analysis and consulting as an Energy Security and Geo-economics Specialist. He has over 20 years' experience in international energy diplomacy: advising energy firms, governments, international institutions and NGOs; framing policy and research issues and leading teams to address them, and producing briefings and analytical bulletins.
He has published scores of refereed academic articles, policy articles and book chapters. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Energy Research Institute and a senior researcher at Carleton University's Institute of European, Russian and Eurasian Studies. He is fluent in English, French and Russian. He can be reached at rmc@alum.mit.edu and tweets from @RobertMCutler.
U.S. Passes New Geopolitical Energy Legislation
In the rush of activity at the end of last year, in preparation for adjournment, the U.S. Congress approved and President Donald Trump signed legislation including provisions for American foreign economic policy, and energy policy in particular. The one that has got perhaps more attention was the Eastern Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act of […]
European Investment Bank Shifts Policy
In mid-November, the European Investment Bank (EIB) decided on five new rules to guide its energy lending policy: priority to energy efficiency, enabling energy “decarbonization”, increased finance for decentralized energy production, increased finance for “intermittent” energy sources such as wind and solar, and supporting “energy transformation” outside the EU. The Bank will cease lending in […]
Turkmenistan Relations with European Union Reach a New Level
The energy security of NATO members in Europe will receive a further boost as the European Union has opened a new Delegation in Turkmenistan. This Delegation supersedes the lower-level liaison office through which relations had been conducted up until now. The move follows the European Council’s adoption of a new “EU Strategy for Central Asia,” […]
Uzbekistan Moves Fast To Reform Energy Sector
Energy sector reform is moving quickly in Uzbekistan, and foreign direct investment (FDI) is skyrocketing. The country did not have an energy ministry until February of this year. Instead, the energy sector was in the portfolio of one of eight deputy prime ministers, who also covered metallurgy and geology. This excessive concentration of responsibilities was […]
Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline Gains Further Momentum
Following President Donald Trump’s Nowruz (New Year’s) message to Turkmenistan’s President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov stating that the United States Government looks forward to seeing the Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline (TCGP) built, the atmosphere has been changing in Washington in favor of the project. Twenty years ago, when the project was first being discussed, the American negotiators made […]
Momentum Accelerates for the Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline
Momentum accelerated over the past month pointing towards the implementation, sooner rather than later, of the Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline (TCGP). Already last summer the signature of the Convention on the Legal Status of the Caspian Sea established that neither Russia nor Iran would be able to block the construction of the pipeline. This even confirms […]
Russia Promotes Caspian Economic Cooperation
Diplomatic momentum is gaining on all fronts in favor of the Trans-Caspian Gas Pipeline (TCGP) between Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan. Both Russian and American diplomats tacitly agree that this is a positive development. Thus last week the new U.S. Ambassador to Georgia (and former Ambassador to Azerbaijan) Ross Wilson publicly stated that “transport projects implemented jointly […]
The Southern Gas Corridor in 2018 and Prospects for 2019
This article is an end-of-year review looking at the EU’s and Turkey’s position in three potential maritime conflict situations: first, the Caspian Sea basin; and then the Black Sea and East Mediterranean basins together. The most significant development in Caspian Sea energy in 2018 was the signature of the Convention on the Status of the […]
Recent Developments in Cyprus Energy
Attempts to commercialize the East Mediterranean natural gas province continue still with difficulty. The gas deposits in the Cyprus offshore continue to be at the centre of attention, while those of Israel and Egypt are set in relation to those. The issue that preoccupies observers is how to market the gas from Cyprus in Europe. […]