Dr. Robert Cutler Speaks About Energy Security

September 30 - October 2, 2009

Dr. Robert Cutler

Dr. Robert Cutler, energy security specialist and research fellow at the Institute of European, Russian and Eurasian Studies of Carleton University, visited Tbilisi In October to conduct a series of lectures on energy security in the Black Sea - Caspian Basin corridor.   On a regional tour that included Baku and Yerevan, the academic spoke of conceptual frameworks and also fielded questions regarding material issues relevant to energy in the South Caucasus.  His lecture, "The Structuration of the Central Eurasian Hydrocarbon Energy Complex," presented to students at the Center for European Studies at Tbilisi State University and at the Georgian Institute of Public Administration, introduced his concept of concentric spheres of geopolitical influences, and the developmental interconnections between them.  Dr. Cutler also led a discussion with industry leaders and premier energy thinkers at the Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies.  Questions generated from Dr. Cutler's diverse audiences ranged from specific pipeline agreements, concerns about regional instability, and the impact of possible NATO membership on energy security.