EU insists on commercial approach to Central Asian gas

If this is true, it seems unbelievably naive.

Ahto Lobjakas writes that the EU insists market forces drive commercial development of the gas industries and pipelines coming from Central Asia to Europe.

"The EU still views reaching out to the Caspian region as, first and foremost, a commercial undertaking. The bloc's officials appear sincerely to believe that the free interplay of market forces will obviate the need for political intervention."

This completely ignores the fact of Russian and Chinese willingness to offer massive investment or aid to countries that are willing to play ball with them and not work the West. If the EU continues this way, it will forever be dependent on a belligerent and prideful energy supplier.

The soft power of Russia, and especially China, in the development game is increasing. These governments can offer loans and grants, build infrastructure cheaply (China even supplies its own labourers), and most of all, do not attach troublesome conditions of transparency and human rights to their assistance.

Of course in the CIS, Russia is not exactly a soft power, but more of a bully.

But the EU seems to be ignoring this as it maintains its stance that market forces drive Central Asian gas development.

"These high-minded sentiments presuppose a level playing field -- which simply does not exist. If the EU avoids political involvement, it risks treating as abstractions very concrete geopolitical interests. Inevitably, the interests of the strong will prevail over those of the weak. The EU itself, as a player, is consigning itself to fighting for its interests with one hand tied behind its back."

Russia is trying to maintain its stranglehold over most of the Central Asian gas supply, the export of which is almost entirely controls thanks to Soviet-era infrastructure, geography, and a lack of funds in most of the countries for even maintaining existing energy infrastructure, let alone building more.

The EU needs to wake up and start making some hard choices. Things are unlikely to change much as long as Italy, France and Germany keep defending Russia and bowing to pressure from the Kremlin.