The European Union announced an investment of more than 12 billion euros to support Central Asian economic autonomy including energy independence.

At the first "Central Asia + EU" summit held in Samarkand, the historical city of Uzbekistan, a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia, on April 3rd and 4th, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced plans to invest more than 12 billion euros in regional infrastructure construction.

It is no secret that Russia has long used energy as a geopolitical tool. Currently, three-quarters of Kazakhstan's oil exports need to transit through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) to Novorossiysk port on the Black Sea in Russia. The key pipeline for Kazakhstan to export oil through Russia, CPC, is occasionally shut down due to various technical reasons. These shutdowns often coincide with bilateral relationship issues between Kazakhstan and Russia in other areas, indicating political motives.

The western region of Kazakhstan, rich in oil and gas resources, sees most of its produced natural gas being re-injected into the reservoirs of Kazakhstan's three world-class oil fields: Karachaganak, Tengiz, and Kashagan. As oil production is expected to decline within five to seven years, Kazakhstan is considering increasing its natural gas output.

The Kazakh government has long desired an energy pipeline across the Caspian Sea, but Moscow strongly opposes the construction of an oil and gas pipeline from Kazakhstan across the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijan, Turkey, and then to Europe. For a long time, Russia and Iran have obstructed the construction of such routes.

Kazakhstan can currently supply oil and natural gas to German refineries via the Druzhba pipeline, but this still requires permission from Russia. Ensuring energy security by diversifying export routes is crucial for Kazakhstan, and laying a pipeline across the Caspian Sea is vital for the country's energy stability and political independence.

The cost of laying a trans-Caspian gas pipeline could be shared with Turkmenistan, which would also benefit. The European Union may also be willing to provide financing support. With the fourth-largest natural gas reserves in Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, they can replace expensive liquefied natural gas from Russia or the United States to meet Europe's needs for the next few decades.

Despite the current volatile geopolitical situation, Kazakhstan remains favorable for achieving energy independence without relying on Russia.

In view of the increasingly unpredictable trade relations between Europe and America, Europe will support such projects.

Most importantly, Russia's geopolitical influence in the region is declining. In 2023, Russia ceded economic hegemony to another country for the first time since the colonial era of the Russian Empire.

This article is excerpted from the article titled "Kazakhstan Should Break Free from Its Energy Dependence on Russia" published on the think tank website 'The Diplomat' on April 14th, written by Kuwait Dunbai.

"Language Learning Research | Translation"

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1829561125020739/

Disclaimer: This article represents the author's personal views.