Shaping energy security in Central and Eastern Europe on the example of Belarus, Lithuania and Poland

Abstract

Energy security is indisputably one of the pillars of national security and it is of paramount importance for both the political stability and the economy. Dissolution of the USSR in 1989 left many states in Central and Eastern Europe dependent on Russia in terms of energy. All of these countries commenced difficult and time consuming process of building their own energy security. After more than thirty years since the beginning of this process it is worth analyzing how these countries have coped with this challenge and what strategies of shaping energy security have been applied. For the purpose of this article three countries were analyzed: Poland, Lithuania and Belarus. The selection of these three particular states is justified by the fact that they vary in terms of population, economic potential and geopolitical situation. They have been implementing different models of energy security and this gives a solid base for assessment of their effectiveness.