The Role of an Oil/Gas Pipeline in Interstate Relations
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概要
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Energy resources such as oil and gas might work as one of diplomatic means and a pipeline which transports oil and gas, as well. There are some such examples in and around the Former Soviet Union in these days as pointed out below.<BR>Ukraine shut off a gas-valve, Belarus turned off the tap of the oil pipeline, Azer-baijan stopped oil flow from Baku to Novorossisk, Georgia seems to have decided to depend on Azerbaijan gas instead of Russian. Russia is constructing and planning to lay pipelines without passing a third country, some of oil and gas producing countries in the Caspian region are trying to export their products bypassing Russia and some European states support such an action, some countries are trying to invite transit pipeline construction within their territory. Russia will differentiate gas export prices depending on importers' loyalty to Russia.<BR>The above-mentioned are one of evidences for the strategic features of a pipeline, but nonetheless attention must be paid to the following two aspects.<BR>1) Profit which a long-term reliable relation brings outweighs a short-lived advantage, gained contrary to principle of reciprocity.<BR>2) Use of pipeline for a political purpose might be a peculiar phenomenon in a specific region for specific time duration as almost all cases studied here concern the Former Soviet Union.<BR>Conclusion: A pipeline might affect relationships between nations and vice versa. We, men of reason, should live basing on the assumption that a relation among producers, a relation among consumers and a relation between a producer and a consumer must be supplementary and cooperative, not exclusive.