“What lessons can we learn from the Soviet collapse and apply to the current situation in Russia?
First, we must remember that Russia today is an oil-dependent economy. No one can accurately predict the fluctuations of oil prices. The collapse of the Soviet Union should serve as a lesson to those who construct policy based on the assumption that oil prices will remain perpetually high. It would seem that in our country, which has lived through the collapse of the late 1980s and early 1990s, this fact would be evident. But as soon as the prices went up again at the beginning of 2000 and in 2004 became comparable in real terms to those at the beginning of the 1980s, the idea that ‘high oil revenues are forever’ has gained an even wider acceptance.

• Kari Liuhto  |  Published on EGF: 20.05.2010  |  Energy
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Energy Roundtable Summary Document

The EU-Russia energy roundtable discussion held at the Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO) on February 26, 2010, brought together a significant number of well known experts and policy makers engaged in the EU-Russia energy relationship in order to assess some of the challenges which presently exist in this sphere. Some of these challenges are summarised below. The objectives of the seminar organisers were to create an environment in which experts and policy makers could openly and candidly discuss the challenges standing before the EU-Russia energy relationship. The roundtable was also attended by a large number of participants from academia, government, energy companies and the diplomatic community.

• EGF Editorial  |  Published on EGF: 17.05.2010  |  Energy
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• Andrej Kreutz  |  Published on EGF: 05.05.2010  |  External Relations
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At the end of December 1999, as the world prepared to usher in a new Millennium, in Europe and other parts of the planet, there was widespread concern that the so called “Millennium Bug” would strike, causing unforeseen disruption and havoc. Ten years on, in December of last year, for many in Europe, the Millennium Bug was just a shade in the memory as a far more ominous concern was pressing home – the prospect of another gas crisis. Although the fact that the Russia-Ukraine gas dispute of January 2009 – and its knock-on effect of leaving much of Europe without natural gas in the peak of winter – did not repeat itself during the record cold European temperatures of January this year, the very fact that European attention has become so focused on this theme demonstrates how geopolitical developments in the European hinterlands have come to impact the day-to-day livelihood of all Europeans

• EGF Editorial  |  Published on EGF: 16.03.2010  |  Energy
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• Karel Beckman  |  Published on EGF: 16.03.2010  |  Energy
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• European Commission  |  Published on EGF: 16.02.2010  |  Energy
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• Alexander Sergunin  |  Published on EGF: 21.02.2010  |  External Relations
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• Dr. Marat Terterov interview in Arabic on Russia Today  |  Published on EGF: 08.01.2010  |  External Relations
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Power industry, and especially sources of energy, are a key element ensuring economic development. As far as this sphere is concerned, Europe’s future will depend greatly on gas, and its crucial part will be the Central Europe.

• EGF  |  Published on EGF: 08.01.2010  |  External Relations
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Scholars of most academic disciplines across the social sciences have a fondness for comparing different regions in order to evaluate :

• why one may be developing more rapidly than another,
  

• why democracy may be stalled in one region or flourishing in another,
  

• why the benefits foreseen by economic reform have proven less conclusive in some regions when compared to others...

• Dr. Marat Terterov  |  Published on EGF: 15.01.2010  |  External Relations
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