By Vasiliki Kantioti*, Analyst & Member of the Board of Advisors of KEDISA
Energy diplomacy in international relations is defined as “the strategic use of energy resources, policies, and international cooperation to achieve foreign policy goals, ensure energy security, and advance economic and environmental interests.” It encompasses negotiations, institutional arrangements, and partnerships through which states and other actors, including multinational corporations and international organizations, seek to ensure energy security, shape global energy markets, and promote technological innovation and sustainable development. In an increasingly interconnected and competitive global energy landscape, energy diplomacy combines energy policy and foreign relations, serving both as an instrument of geopolitical influence and as a means of safeguarding national interests.
This research examines the role of energy diplomacy within the BRICS countries and analyzes how the 2024–2025 enlargement of the bloc reshaped its geopolitical and energy dynamics. Having evolved from an economic acronym into an increasingly influential geopolitical and energy coalition, BRICS today represents a heterogeneous group of states pursuing strategic autonomy, diversified partnerships, and greater influence within global governance structures. The study further explores how BRICS member states use energy resources, investments, infrastructure projects, and multilateral cooperation as instruments of foreign policy, economic development, and strategic autonomy.
* This is Vasiliki Kantioti’s dissertation submitted during her postgraduate studies at the Department of International and European Studies at the University of Piraeus (MSc in Energy: Strategy, Law & Economics)
