Vladimir Putin on Russian Energy Policy(Dissertation before becoming President)

Could Russia contribute to America’s energy security? In the wake of the Yukos affair, doubts have been raised about the country’s business climate, growing government intervention in key sectors of the economy, and Russia’s reliability as a partner in strategic economic sectors. Given the high stakes involved, it is imperative to read Russia “right.” With the world’s largest deposits of natural gas and third-largest proven reserves of oil, Russia has the potential to make a major contribution to global supplies. Unfortunately, at a time when attention should be focused on an accurate evaluation of the extent of Russia’s reserves and the challenges of getting Russian oil and gas to world markets, many discussions still focus on political risk.

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