Abstract:
As a young sovereign state, Kazakhstan tries to conduct policy that makes it an equal partner
among other countries of the world community. Rich deposits of oil and natural gas in the country and the Caspian
Sea attract the interests of energy consuming states. At the same time, the landlocked position and weak
infrastructure lead a more active foreign policy based on the energy factor. This paper is an attempt to study the
development of energy policy of Kazakhstan focusing on the country’s relations with Russia, China, the USA and
the European Union. The complex geopolitical environment and relatively small, young economy of Kazakhstan
emerge as the main reasons for conducting multi-vector and balanced foreign policy. The author defines
peculiarities and tendencies of possible future developments with respect to Kazakhstan’s place in the energy
sphere.
Description:
As a young sovereign state, Kazakhstan tries to conduct policy that makes it an equal partner
among other countries of the world community. Rich deposits of oil and natural gas in the country and the Caspian
Sea attract the interests of energy consuming states. At the same time, the landlocked position and weak
infrastructure lead a more active foreign policy based on the energy factor. This paper is an attempt to study the
development of energy policy of Kazakhstan focusing on the country’s relations with Russia, China, the USA and
the European Union. The complex geopolitical environment and relatively small, young economy of Kazakhstan
emerge as the main reasons for conducting multi-vector and balanced foreign policy. The author defines
peculiarities and tendencies of possible future developments with respect to Kazakhstan’s place in the energy
sphere.
