STRATEGIC PERSPECTIVES FOR BILATERAL ENERGY COOPE-RATION BETWEEN THE EU AND KAZAKHSTAN GEO-ECONOMIC AND GEOPOLITICAL DIMENSIONS IN COMPETITION WITH RUSSIA AND CHINA’S CENTRAL ASIA POLICIES

Abstract

Central Asia strategy in 2007, to enhance the energy and general political-economic cooperation with Central Asia. But the EU has had to compete mostly with Russia and China, the two major powers and potential rivals in Central Asia and the Caspian Region (CACR). While Azerbaijan has become the most important gas partner of the EU, due to the planned Trans-Anatolian Gas Pipeline (TANAP) and Trans- Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) pipeline network of the EU’s Southern Gas Corridor project, Kazakhstan is the most important oil partner in CACR.