In particular, Tehran appears to be consistently siding with Moscow on many issues related to the Caspian because, as Russia, it may only lose if a broad interpretation of jurisdictional matters, favored by Azerbaijan and some others, does prevail. One of the explanations may be that private US oil companies, pursuing their own policies in the region, do not require direct American government involvement. Resolving the transportation problem grows in importance, as more and more sites of potential oil production are being identified in the Caspian. However, transporting Caspian oil through Russia creates certain political complications and difficulties for Caspian littoral states, trying to assure their independence from Russia. Several international agreements have already been signed to attract outside investments to build more pipelines, going in the Southern direction.
Black Sea states alone, including Ukraine, Moldavia.
Therefore any route that takes oil into the Black Sea, including a bypass through Bulgaria, continuing into Greece, may eventually provide an effective solution. A country with a heavy stake in developing the Southern route is Turkey. Turkish experts insist that the Bosporus Straits are approaching their maximal capacity. Ecological Concerns Awareness of potential negative effects of accelerated development of Caspian oil resources on the environment is growing. However the key to protecting the environment lies not in stopping or restricting the development of oil resources, but in introducing sensible and safe production methods and advanced technologies, constant ecological monitoring, as well as effective remedial measures in case of environmental damage.