Pipelines Of Empire

At this juncture in history, the fate of Europe is wound up not in ideas but in geopolitics. For millennia, eruptions from Asia have determined the fate of Europe, including invasions and migrations by Russians, Turkic tribes and Byzantine Greeks. Central and Eastern Europe, with their geographical proximity to the Asian steppe and the Anatolian land bridge, have borne the brunt of these cataclysms. Today is no different, only it is far subtler. Armies are not marching; rather, hydrocarbons are flowing. For that is the modern face of Russian influence in Europe. To understand the current pressures upon Europe from the east it is necessary to draw a map of energy pipelines. READ MORE
Iran agrees to curb nuclear activity at Geneva talks

Iran has agreed to curb some of its nuclear activities in return for about $7bn (£4.3bn) in sanctions relief, after days of intense talks in Geneva. READ MORE
Energy security and its mysteries

Today energy security is one of the key issues of the Lithuanian economic policy. It is usually referred to as a technological or economic energy self-sufficiency problem, yet recently more focus is given to the impact of energy on the development of society. This aspect creates prerequisites for discussion: what are the views of social sciences with respect to the national energy security? READ MORE
France and Germany moving towards closer political union

After the election of French President Francois Hollande in May, it seemed thatviews of the EU’s foremost political duo could not be further apart. READ MORE
Linking up Europe and South Korea 'not easy'

Russian President Putin is set to arrive in Seoul with a long list of issues, including plans for a rail link that could ultimately link Europe to South Korean ports. The main stumbling block is likely to be Pyongyang. READ MORE
Germany under EU scrutiny for current account surplus

The European Commission decided to prepare an in-depth analysis of Germany's persistently high current account surplus to find out if it is a sign of a serious imbalance in Europe's biggest economy. READ MORE
Rar: No one Knows What the Situation with Gas in Europe Will Be

The Research Director of the German-Russian Forum Alexandr Rar during his conversation with the Telegraph doubted the feasibility of construction of terminals for liquefied natural gas (LNG) delivery in the Baltic region. At the moment Qatar gas from tankers is more expensive in Europe that Russian gas from the pipeline. READ MORE
Syria's shadow lurks behind Iran nuclear talks

The optimism over nuclear diplomacy with Iran has led to speculation that the West could also come to an agreement with Tehran on Syria. But analysts are cautious about such deals. READ MORE
Ukraine minimizes purchases of Russian gas

The government and NAK Naftogaz Ukraine have accomplished the task set by President Viktor Yanukovych to minimize purchases of expensive fuel from Russian OAO Gazprom. READ MORE