EU - RUSSIA ENERGY COOPERATION: MAJOR DEVELOPMENT TRENDS AND THE PRESENT STATE

The article analyzes the development of EU - Russia energy relations through the lens of the evolution of three parameters: the political agenda (the Energy Dialogue), the institutional structure, and the legal modalities. The identification of these three aspects for assessing the evolution of EU - Russia energy relations is the novelty in the author's approach. This study aims to identify the previous stages and assess the current state of EU - Russia energy dialogue, since they set out conditions for energy cooperation in the Baltic Sea region. This research is based on a political and legal analysis of various documents and employs various international relations theories (including integration theories). The article demonstrates that the EU and Russia have made a transition to the integration agenda manifested in the Energy Dialogue (its current goal is the creation of a common European energy market). The author describes the process of gradual consolidation of transgovernmental and transnational institutions, which leads to depoliticization of cooperation and mutual socialization of the partners. Finally, legal discussions on the development of common rules have become more constructive. In sum, the current situation in EU - Russia energy relations is favourable and positively affects cooperation in the Baltic Sea region.