ABSTRACT
The energy resources of the Caspian region became an important issue for the US foreign policy in the post-Cold War era. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the vast oil deposits beneath the Caspian Sea have made the Caspian region the focus of intense interest. The US prizes the region as an alternative source of energy. Russia regards it as its own strategic reserve. Other regional powers such as Turkey, Iran and even China have a stake in control of the transportation of oil.
