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Energy and Transport cooperation in Europe's sea basins |
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International Seminar
Ankara, 21-22 January 2010
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The International seminar on Energy and Transport Co-operation in Europe's four sea basins organized by the Center of European Studies at the Middle East Technical University (CES-METU) was held in Ankara on January 21st and 22nd. The event was attended by numerous researchers and officials from sub-regional initiatives. Among which TRANSPORT CORRIDOR EUROPE-CAUCASUS-ASIA (TRACECA); Black Sea Economic Co-operation (BSEC) and sub-regional projects (Baltic Gateway, Transbaltic) took part for transport issues. The Observatoire Mediterranéen de l'Energie and the White Stream Consortium also participated. |
 energy_programme 277.10 Kb
transport_programme 244.25 Kb
ankara_participants 176.35 Kb
Michele Villani: "The EU needs to think the unthinkable in energy and transport issues" |
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Metaphor of Motorways of seas
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Ankara, 23 January 2010
Energy and transport both play a strategic role in the four seas on which we centre our analysis: tensions between stakeholders often focus on the Baltic, the Mediterranean, the Black and Caspian seas. All four areas are of great importance for the EU and the routes, be they maritime or pipelines, through which oil and gas travels from the producing to the consuming countries are often the subject of tension.
Michele Villani, Head, Trade Economy and Agriculture section at the EU Delegation to Turkey
drew attentioni to the interlinked relationship between climate change, energy supplies and energy
security. He also emphasized the importance to act on climate change and the infrastructural
problems in the 4 seas. As in the past projects as the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan or Durran Farrell
pipelines were visionary when they were planned, the EU needs", he added, "to think the
unthinkable in energy and transport issues".
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Concerning the strategic energy partenrs, Victoria Panova, from
Moscow State Institute of International Relations, focused on the
business like thinking in Russia and therefore although Russia has
the capability to do anything in the region but would not jeopardize
its interests in the mid and long term. She argued that is Russia reacts
to the issues in an emotional way, that would be a suicide for Russia
and a disaster for its economic and business relations. In her
speech she tried to answer the question of ‘‘Why Russia reacts so
harshly to the EU?’’ and her answers are the Legacy of Yeltsin era
and that Russia does not want to feel weak again and protect
its national interests. She added that Russia wants to use its advantage
of energy resources in its economic development.
Göktu Kara, EC Delegation to Turkey, argued that the transport infrastructure and operations are the back bone of Economic and social cohesion, competitiveness in global trade, balanced and sustainable development while the EU aims to shift balance between modes of transport, eliminate bottlenecks, place users at the heart of transport policy, and manage globalization of transport.
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