THE NORTHERN ADRIATIC IN THE VORTEX OF GLOBAL AND LOCAL ENERGY INTERESTS

摘要

The area of the Northern Adriatic is central to a number of geoeconomic interests, chiefly the need for reliable, fast and especially economically competitive transport connections, both for classic cargo and for energy. In the surrounding area there are three Pan-European Corridors in the making (the 5th, 6th and 10th) with which the Northern-Adriatic harbours of Trieste, Koper and Rijeka are hoping to connect. The fate of these three ports in the forthcoming decade is going to be linked with the quest for alternative energy sources with which to balance the excessive dependence of Central Europe on Russian natural gas. On one hand, there is clear interest in LNG terminals, on the other hand there is also interest in the construction of the trans-Balkanic "South Stream" pipeline, which should connect The Black Sea and Central Europe. How is the region of Northern Adriatic going to react to such strong and varied geoeconomical interests and can we spot the appearance of a Mediterranean "Persian Gulf"?