2000 - 2015 yıllarındaki Rus - İsrail ilişkilerine doğal gazın etkisi

Nowadays there is a challenge in world policy when states tend to take economic and political decisions based on their strategic interests in energy sphere, especially in natural gas sector. Natural gas became a new element of intergovernmental relationship between Russia and Israel, who has recently changed its energy status into potential natural gas exporter by discovering huge offshore fields in the East Mediterranean. Gas from new fields is planned to be export to European markets which are highly dependent from energy supplies from Russia. In this context, Russia, as a major natural gas exporter to Europe, is interested in strengthening relations with Israel in order to prevent economically unfavourable supply projects and to preserve its current position in European market. The study focuses on the effect of developments in natural gas sphere in the Middle East and the East Mediterranean regions (such as discoveries of new offshore and onshore fields and international projects on natural gas production and transportation) on Russian-Israeli political and economic relations. Analysis of natural gas role in bilateral relations between Russia and Israel provides a fundamental basis for the deeper understanding the geopolitics of natural gas.