Energy Security in East Central Europe
2007.12.03 14:00The last 18 months have taught us a lesson on a large, indeed European scale: about how energy can be turned into a means of gaining direct political influence, about how the security of any country, or even the EU as a whole, can become vulnerable. The EU's dependency on Russian gas and on fossil fuels from the Middle East led to dramatic consequences at a time when Russia is attempting to regain the political influence it enjoyed during the Soviet era. At the same time, the policies of Islamic fundamentalists in the Middle East have become a global force. This roundtable will attempt to shed light on these challenges and discuss options for defending against them.