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Ulviyya Poladova

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Recent developments in the Black Sea region have brought renewed attention to long-overlooked challenges related to Romania’s energy security. Romanian political and military analyst Alexandru Grumaz believes that the current geopolitical environment is further increasing Azerbaijan’s role in Europe’s energy security, while the development of alternative routes through Azerbaijan has become a strategic necessity.

According to AzerNEWS, it was stated in an article published by Romania’s National newspaper.

Grumaz notes that although Romania imports a significant share of its oil from Kazakhstan, much of this crude is transported through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) to Russia’s Novorossiysk port, from where it is shipped across the Black Sea to Europe. According to him, this logistics model leaves Romania’s energy security indirectly dependent on infrastructure controlled by Russia.

The analyst says that drone attacks on energy infrastructure near Novorossiysk and growing security risks in the Black Sea have demonstrated the vulnerability of global energy markets. He emphasized that the issue is not only a possible reduction in oil supply volumes, but also the broader consequences, including higher insurance costs, increased maritime transportation expenses, logistical delays, and ultimately rising energy prices in Europe.

Grumaz highlighted that Kazakhstan’s largest oil field, Tengiz, is not only a regional but also a globally significant energy project.

The analyst argues that while Europe has taken important steps in recent years to reduce its dependence on Russian gas, similar risks remain in the oil transportation sector. In his view, the key issue is not only the country of origin of the oil, but also the route through which it reaches European markets. Therefore, the security of energy corridors should be considered not only an economic issue but also a national security priority.

Alexandru Grumaz emphasized that Azerbaijan has a special role in this process. According to him, Kazakh oil transported across the Caspian Sea to Azerbaijani ports can reach Türkiye’s Mediterranean coast through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline, and from there be delivered to European markets. Since this route bypasses Russian territory, it is considered a more geopolitically secure alternative.

An expert believes Romania should take advantage of this new geopolitical reality. He argues that expanding the capacity of the Port of Constanța, modernizing Black Sea logistics infrastructure, and strengthening integration with alternative routes through Azerbaijan could significantly improve Romania’s energy security.

It should be noted that recent projects aimed at increasing cargo transportation between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan across the Caspian Sea, developing the Middle Corridor, and expanding energy cooperation are considered strategically important for creating alternative energy routes to Europe.