196
health. In its position as an intergovernmental platform, the C5+1 format displays
its relevance and vital position as a platform for furthering stability, affluence, and
peace in Central Asia. The forum will continue to support strong civil societies in
Central Asia via the protection of human rights and compliance with international
law (www.state.gov 2020a, b).
It should be noted that the Obama administration was a change in the geopolitical dynamics of the Caspian region. The administration was not that interested in
the region outside of preserving overflight rights for air access to US military bases
in Afghanistan. While working on a nuclear agreement with Tehran, the Obama
administration promoted cooperation between the regional workers and Iran. As a
result, these states saw a decline in their geopolitical influence in Washington as a
defense against Iran. Moreover, under Obama, US–Turkish relations continued their
decline due to disagreement on issues in the region, including Turkey’s position as
a bridge into the Caspian region and policies in Syria (www.fdd.org 2020a, b, c).
US and Southern Gas Corridor
The Southern Gas Corridor, a project to transport 16 billion cubic meters of Caspian
natural gas annually to Turkey and southern Europe, has been exempted from US
sanctions against Iran’s energy customers. BP was seeking exemption for the development of the Shah Deniz offshore field in Azerbaijan, which is the natural gas
source of the Southern Gas Corridor. The National Iranian Oil Company has a 10%
stake in the second phase of Shah Deniz, which could possibly face US sanctions
against Iranian oil investment (www.wilsoncenter.org 2020). The US State
Department has called on the Turkmen government to join the treaty in order to
benefit from the benefits of the South Caspian gas corridor for gas exports to Europe,
and not to export its gas exclusively to China. “Although Turkmenistan did not
accede to the Caspian Sea summit last year, it did assess it,” said US Deputy
Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Diplomacy Sandra Oudkirk, on the sidelines
of the Caspian Sea Summit in Baku. It calls on the Ashgabat government to join the
agreement. Turkey, exploited, could end Turkmenistan’s dependence only on limited customers such as China and lead the country to greater economic development
through gas sales to Europe. Oudkirk urged the Turkmen government to connect its
gas pipeline to Azerbaijan’s Gar pipeline and implement the process of joining this
trans-regional agreement and benefit from the economic support of this project
(https://www.azernews.az/news.php?news_id=151273&cat=oil_and_gas 2019).
The Key Geopolitical and Economic Achievements of the Construction of
the Trans-Caspian Pipeline Are
1. Diversification of gas supply sources in the European market and increasing
energy security of the Green Continent. According to the European Commission,
69% of the continent’s gas consumption is imported and 37% of imports, equivalent to 155.7 billion cubic meters per year, are purchased from Russia. That is
6 Trump Energy Diplomacy
health. In its position as an intergovernmental platform, the C5+1 format displays
its relevance and vital position as a platform for furthering stability, affluence, and
peace in Central Asia. The forum will continue to support strong civil societies in
Central Asia via the protection of human rights and compliance with international
law (www.state.gov 2020a, b).
It should be noted that the Obama administration was a change in the geopolitical dynamics of the Caspian region. The administration was not that interested in
the region outside of preserving overflight rights for air access to US military bases
in Afghanistan. While working on a nuclear agreement with Tehran, the Obama
administration promoted cooperation between the regional workers and Iran. As a
result, these states saw a decline in their geopolitical influence in Washington as a
defense against Iran. Moreover, under Obama, US–Turkish relations continued their
decline due to disagreement on issues in the region, including Turkey’s position as
a bridge into the Caspian region and policies in Syria (www.fdd.org 2020a, b, c).
US and Southern Gas Corridor
The Southern Gas Corridor, a project to transport 16 billion cubic meters of Caspian
natural gas annually to Turkey and southern Europe, has been exempted from US
sanctions against Iran’s energy customers. BP was seeking exemption for the development of the Shah Deniz offshore field in Azerbaijan, which is the natural gas
source of the Southern Gas Corridor. The National Iranian Oil Company has a 10%
stake in the second phase of Shah Deniz, which could possibly face US sanctions
against Iranian oil investment (www.wilsoncenter.org 2020). The US State
Department has called on the Turkmen government to join the treaty in order to
benefit from the benefits of the South Caspian gas corridor for gas exports to Europe,
and not to export its gas exclusively to China. “Although Turkmenistan did not
accede to the Caspian Sea summit last year, it did assess it,” said US Deputy
Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Diplomacy Sandra Oudkirk, on the sidelines
of the Caspian Sea Summit in Baku. It calls on the Ashgabat government to join the
agreement. Turkey, exploited, could end Turkmenistan’s dependence only on limited customers such as China and lead the country to greater economic development
through gas sales to Europe. Oudkirk urged the Turkmen government to connect its
gas pipeline to Azerbaijan’s Gar pipeline and implement the process of joining this
trans-regional agreement and benefit from the economic support of this project
(https://www.azernews.az/news.php?news_id=151273&cat=oil_and_gas 2019).
The Key Geopolitical and Economic Achievements of the Construction of
the Trans-Caspian Pipeline Are
1. Diversification of gas supply sources in the European market and increasing
energy security of the Green Continent. According to the European Commission,
69% of the continent’s gas consumption is imported and 37% of imports, equivalent to 155.7 billion cubic meters per year, are purchased from Russia. That is
6 Trump Energy Diplomacy