A KEY PLAYER

Maintaining energy security continues to remain one of the main items on Europe's agenda. The European Union has been racking its brains for years over possible options of the diversification of the sources and routes of supply of natural gas to the countries of the Old World. These questions were also paramount at the session of the Energy Security Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly (PA) "Euronest" which was held in Baku recently. At the session the Azerbaijani side reproached its European partners for failing to show sufficient will in questions of the delivery of Caspian energy resources to Europe. According to Jiri Mastalka, a co-chairman of the committee, Euro MP from the Czech Republic, energy security is just as important for the European countries as the military security of the state or the protection of its sovereignty. Jiri Mastalka kindly agreed to share his views about this with our magazine.

- How serious is the problem of energy security for Europe today?

- The European Union has drawn a big lesson from the so-called gas crisis which arose a few years ago as a result of problems with the transit of gas via Ukrainian territory. Despite the fact that, thanks to immense efforts, this problem was able to be resolved, it remains as a kind of warning - such counties as, for example, Bulgaria, have for a relatively long time been deprived of the opportunity to produce heat for their own people. This experience was another warning to politicians that the safe and stable supply of energy sources must be maintained, and also the question of ensuring a diversification of supplies, as well as the question of using renewable resources, must be discussed.

It should be recalled that the first very important warning was given during the so-called oil crisis at the beginning of the 1970s. As a result, the European countries adopted a number of measures, for example developing vehicles with reduced fuel consumption and car engines running on gas, and so on. Many countries built up the concept of using nuclear power as the main source for the production of electricity and maintaining energy security. Another warning was the Gulf War when what may have been an artificially created shortage of fuel and a sharp price hike arose.

All this shows that the European Union and other states must consider as their priority the provision of secure and stable sources of supply.

- How do you assess the role of the EU's partners, such as Azerbaijan, in maintaining Europe's energy requirements?

- One option for maintaining stable supplies of oil and gas is, of course, the variety of sources of imports. After the gas crisis one basic step was made: the construction of the NordStream gas pipeline on the basis of a treaty between Russia and Germany, which was gradually joined by companies from France and the Netherlands. Many people were surprised by this step, especially those states which up to then were transit countries, and NordStream bypassed them. But, to be honest, this was to be expected. In one of my articles well before the gas crisis I pointed out that "Russia needs not so much the European Union as a partner (a member-state of the EU) which will be a distributor of natural gas outside the traditional transit states". One may expect a similar development of the situation further south, too, where the construction of SouthStream has begun. From the point of view of Russia's national and economic interests, as well as those of a number of European countries, it is possible that these steps have been justified. Europe, of course, does not want to be dependent on imports alone. Here it is necessary that Russia is sympathetic to the interests of those countries that import gas and oil. Despite the fact that there are no obvious hints of evidence of Russia's abuse of its position, diversification of sources is undoubtedly necessary. On the other hand, it is important to emphasize that energy security in the 21st century is not a question of the self-dependence of a state; it is a question of inter-linkages between the economies of all states.

The statistics of oil and natural gas supplies in Azerbaijan are well known, irrespective of whether they are substantiated or presumptive. Azerbaijan can play an important competitive role in supplies of natural gas to the countries of the European Union. All the signs indicate that the republic will be playing such a role in the very near future. Furthermore, it is important that healthy competition between importers has a positive impact on the lives of the consumers, especially in maintaining stable supplies at an acceptable price. Mutually advantageous trade must always be born in mind.

The socio-economic development of countries such as Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania and Italy, for example, will depend in many ways on gas supplies, above all, from Azerbaijan. This option has been acquiring ever more importance since the so-called "Arab spring" when stable supplies from countries such as Libya could not be counted on. But none of this rules out the possibility of cooperation between Russia and Azerbaijan on third markets, even the European Union.

- The Nagornyy Karabakh conflict is the main threat to stability in the Southern Caucasus. Why is the European community not showing proper attention to this problem when it constitutes a danger to stable supplies of energy resources from the Caspian region to Europe? And is there a need to bring in international security forces, for example NATO, to protect the regional energy infrastructure?

- Of course, the problem of Nagornyy Karabakh and tension in relations between Armenia and Azerbaijan worries not only the countries of the European Union. Russia and Turkey also have their own interests in the Caucasus region. At the present moment one of the instruments for settling the conflict and reducing tension is considered to be the Minsk group of the OSCE. Its potential has still not been completely exhausted. I personally believe that a strengthening of military presence, including with NATO aid, is not a very good way of ensuring peace in this region. All available diplomatic means must be used and we must prevent a further increase in tension which threatens to descend to new bloodshed. The basis of all actions must be respect for international law and the predominance of peaceful means of solution. As in all complex questions of this nature, success cannot be achieved straightaway. Compromises are needed, although this will, of course, be difficult or even painful. The main efforts must be directed towards preventing bloodshed.