KAZAKHSTAN EYES LATVIA AS GATEWAY TO EUROPEAN OIL MARKETS

The joint declaration signed by Nazarbayev and Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga says that Kazakhstan can use the Latvian transit corridor for long-term exports of its hydrocarbons to European markets. No less promising is Kazakhstan’s bid to purchase state-owned and private shares in the Latvian Ventspils Nafta oil transit company and the Ventspils seaport, which should facilitate oil shipments. Ventspils Nafta has authorized capital of €150 million.

From the Latvian perspective, Kazakhstan is an authoritarian country, albeit one more successfully developed in economic terms than other Central Asian states. But in times of great hunger for energy resources, not only Latvia, but also EU countries as a whole have been willing to turn a blind eye to the lack of democracy in Kazakhstan.
EurAsia Daily