Is the European Union trading its kingdom for a barrel of patrol? Image of Ian McKellen as the title character of William Shakespeare's "Richard III".

Editor’s note: “My kingdom for a barrel of petrol!”  Or so might have William Shakespeare’s Richard III might have said if he were a Western diplomat in Ashgabad. neweurasia’s Annasoltan explores the Nabucco Project in this new post-series with exclusive quotes from some of the international human rights community’s heavy-hitters.

The EU is turning a blind eye to corruption, lack of transparency and human rights abuses in its bid to secure the route for the Nabucco Project from the dictatorship of Turkmenistan, according to an innovative new report by Global Witness featuring artwork by cult cartoonist David Rees.

The report, entitled “All That Gas?”, examines the EU’s eagerness to deepen economic and trade relations with Turkmenistan, one the most repressive countries in the world, because of Turkmenistan’s energy wealth and strategic location.  It is available in three languages: English, Russian, and Turkmen.

The report really makes me think of Shakespeare and that immortal line from Richard III — “My kingdom for a horse!”  Are the Europeans giving up their kingdom for a barrel of petrol?

I’ve talked with the West’s international human rights community about what they think of the Nabucco Project.  Their perspectives are very interesting.

Image above by David Rees. Click on it to go to the "All that Gas?" website.

Let’s start with Global Witness’ campaign leader, Tom Mayne, who has said to me:

First, we are not saying Turkmenistan should be isolated. Engagement can work if we put conditions on the table during crucial period of negotiations. After that, it’s too late, if we haven’t mentioned good governance and human rights. We can’t ask after the deal is completed.

Secondly, I would disagree having economic relationship changing things for the better. The economic relationship with Azerbaijan did not help improve democracy. The revenues flowing to the government from international oil companies have been increasing in recent years, but in terms of freedom of the press, civil liberties and democratization, the situation has regressed. We are offering too much carrot but no stick.

We don’t understand the big rush. Turkmenistan can supply only small amounts of gas. If it were absolute necessary to get the gas, we should get into, but we should be redoubling our efforts to reduce our carbon emissions, looking for diversifications and not get gas from a dictator.

Turkmenistan is a worse human rights abuser even more than Saudi Arabia and Russia. We have a traditional relationship with these countries and they are vital to the EU’s energy demand. We haven’t got that relationship with Turkmenistan. We a have point to say ‘no’ to uphold Western values and refuse. Why turn to a corrupt regime when there is no need.

Rachel Denber of Human Rights Watch (HRW) claims that EU would actually stand to lose more than to gain. She told to me:

I think that some in the EU think to build confidence they should pursue deepening relations. Certainly states should talk to each other, engage in dialogue. But where these are trade agreements there should be pressure for some improvements especially if it’s a country as repressive as Turkmenistan.

The EU has a very important opportunity now as is getting ready for a partnership and cooperation agreement with Turkmenistan, [so they] can use this time before the completion of the agreement to press for some basic human rights improvements. It is morally, legally, but even pragmatically very important to give human rights issues the proper place as the relationship goes forward. [If not] they risk even facing a worse situation [and] letting the Turkmen people down.

The EU and US officials seem to give too much credit for steps forward taken. In all of the key fields Berdimuhammedov has made one step forward, there were more steps backward. For example, after the relaxation of [regulations on] travel abroad, there are still many people who cannot exit the country. And there were only a handful of political prisoners released shortly Berdimuhammedov came to power. Information about the fate of remaining political prisoners could not be obtained.

Andrea Schmitz, from the Russian Federation/CIS division of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, in a comment to me, adds:

The human rights advocates are only partially right as they don’t take into account that the Turkmen leadership is in the very comfortable position to be able to choose among a large number of suitors. That is even if the EU finds a common policy of attaching strings to its economic engagement it would not gain much from such a policy, neither would it make Turkmenistan more democratic nor would it enhance business relations.

But is engagement/disengatement an unsolvable paradox?  A US energy business expert who spoke with me on condition of anonymity takes a different view:

In all of the countries where energy sources are from, there are terrible human rights problems. Take Saudi Arabia, Burma, Russia or Kazakhstan. If the [Western] countries relied on them only on terms of human rights, no one would be able turn on the light switch. It’s not just the West: other countries trade with them.  [So, I'm not saying] there should be no trade or energy from these countries [but] if there was a direct connection between the pipelines and human rights then European countries wouldn’t want to build them.

Whether they have trade with Western countries or not, I don’t think it makes a difference. Sanctions don’t work. It makes you feel you’re doing something but it does not improve the situation. Dictators will find a way to stay in power and to fight sanctions if they are determined to do it. Perhaps they will make some gesture, like Berdimuhammedov said that he will open up the Internet, but over time the situation does not change.

The expert, however, agrees that HRW and other rights advocacy groups should be raising the pressure to make human rights more important to the regimes. It’s a political question, one for which the governments themselves bear responsibility:

What bothers me about Turkmenistan is that they need more time. This is what Niyazov said and this is what Nazarbayev is saying. Time for what? Whether you should have human rights is a simple question. Either you have it or not. It does not take too much time to improve. If they promise they’ll do in more time why does it take that long? Since the fall of the Berlin Wall there was enough time. There is no excuse of the political leadership to deliver.

In the next part of this post series I will examine the role that international security concerns may play in the Nabucco Project debate.