Geopolitics versus business interests: The case of the Siberian gas-pipeline in the 1980s

Abstract

The discovery of a huge gas deposit in North Siberia in the 1980s changed somewhat western Europe economy, because an abundant and low cost energy source allowed to alleviate the burden of the 'energy crisis' and, above all, paved the way to a large geopolitical argument: could western companies provide to the USSR, although enduring a new wave of political “thaw”, money, equipment and engineering to develop that deposit? The USA endeavoured to stem these agreements, to invoke the texts of the COCOM and the spirit of NATO. But western-Europe states helped the firms of their countries, which concluded important contracts with URSS.Gas, USSR, West-Est, Geopolitics, COCOM, NATO, International relations, Siberia