The existence of the richest oil reserves in the Middle Eastern region, it has become the main reason which has caused the prompt involvement of Islamic economies in the world economy in the second half of the XX century. The deepening and development of this process took place throughout all this period. During this period, there was begun industrial development of oil fields in the Middle Eastern region countries with the western oil monopolies by and large.
The regulation on international oil price makes oil-producing countries vulnerable in terms of their currency exchange rate and investment rating by and large.
The role of the Middle Eastern countries in development of oil field reservoirs, production and realization of oil, it has changed at various stages of its development by and large. The strengthening of influence of the Middle Eastern states is mainly connected, first of all, with the activity of OPEC in terms of its regulation in any sectors of national economies of each member-state. In the 70s of the XX century, there was characterized by the sharp increase of the world prices for oil and transition practically of all fields of hydrocarbons in hands of the Middle Eastern states which have nationalized all natural welfare in their territories. The establishment and fixing of high prices for oil, in exchange exclusively low, withheld by the western companies throughout the post-World War II period, have caused inflow of currency receipts to Middle Eastern economies and have allowed them to carry out the accelerated modernization by and large. Though for commercial purposes, the oil began to be extracted in this region already at the beginning of the XX century. In the defining and permanent factor of economic growth of the oil-extracting states, it turns into this period [1, p.10].
Under the influence of oil factor, there were considerable changes not only in national economies ofMiddle Eastern producers, but also in the countries importers of oil, strategy and tactics of the largest oil monopolies, and also in the relations between these contractors of world petro production.
The hot zone of the Persian Gulf has appeared in epicenter of two energy crises which have shaken the world in the 70s of the XX century. The income of oil monarchs are that, that they became multibillionaires and their private means have exceeded wealth of financial tycoons of the West. The oil states have turned into the world’s largest exporters of the capital, and their governors have merged with the international financial oligarchy [1, p.11].
Assuming as a basis technical superiority of the Western European countries and the USA, some western researchers, such as F. Fukuyama, considers the historical development of this group of the countries as a natural-historical process which there have to pass all states for the future perspective. A material basis of this process is, in his opinion, the production of internationalization, the formation of uniformed world economy, the unification of consumer and spiritual culture, the general democratization expressing ideas of the western liberalism by and large [2, p. 12].
In this regard, we will refer to research of L. Razumnova who, analyzing the Western and Islamic views of the processes of interaction of western and eastern economies by and large, draws the following interesting conclusions:
Firstly, the idea about unification of the world on the basis ofthe western economic system as a natural result of uniform and continuous process of development of human history, leads to the worst misrepresentations and amazing narrowing of a historical outlook.
Secondly, the supporters of idea of universality of the principles of the western democracy underestimate the historical, religious, and moral aspects playing a huge role in Islamic society and being a limiting the factor in processes of internationalization of all spheres of life, including in carrying out reforms on liberalization of the Middle Eastern economies, the attraction of foreign and private national investments, and also the privatization processes as well.
Thirdly,it seems illegally their aspiration to diminish influence of oil factor in the Middle Eastern region both on economy of the largest petro importers and on the world market in general as well. At the same time, Razumnova considers exaggerated views of Islamic economists ofthe possibility of creation independent, other than market economic mechanisms [3, p. 15-16].
From the point of view of foreign policy orientation, the Middle Eastern states, with all their ethnic and geographical features and sovereignty as subjects and actors of international community, it is possible to subdivide them on loyal and disloyal to the West. First of all, it concerns the USA as an oil actor. Naturally, among them there were different degrees of tendency, the activity and cooperation with extra regional forces. However at all this through their foreign policy and specific actions the social essence of the local modes was quite obviously traced.
As the main visible manifestations of intra-regional tension of the 80 years, it has acted as the following:
- The Iran-Iraqi
- The ideological and political opposition between political regimes of Iran and Saudi
- The fears of Kuwait to be involved in the specified war with its consequences, adverse for its
- The entry of warships of NATO member states to the Persian Gulf under the pretext of safety of the export of oil from the Gulf region [4, p. 19-20].
In the 90s of the XX century, the edge of the greatest conflict in the region has moved to the sphere of capture by Iraq of Kuwait and the international sanctions against Baghdad as well. Thus, to the political opposition between Iran, on the one side, and by Saudi Arabia and Kuwait on another, was added the new front of opposition between Iraq and the Arabic Gulf countries, existed before military invasion of the USA into Iraq in 2003 [5, p.10-13].
The events of the last 13 years allow us drawing a conclusion that the processes of internationalization will accelerate, leading to growth of interdependence of the Middle Eastern and Western economies. The increase of role of oil factor is in the further deepening of these processes. The pressure of the Middle Eastern leaders upon world political and economic processes will amplify by creation of Islamic model of social and economic development of which the weakness and backwardness are characteristic at the present stage. They are expressed in idealization of Islamic economic methods, discrepancy of religious postulates, a fragmentariness and absence of integrity of all-economic concepts, and at times in open opposition to the western values as well [5, p. 28].
In spite of the fact that the military conflicts in the Persian Gulf in 80s and 90s years of the XX century and the beginning of XXI century have found economic, political dependence of the Middle East on the West, its inability to independently solve the internal problems, the aspiration of leaders of the countries of the Middle East to strengthen and concretize the positions in world political arena practically doesnot raise any doubts.
At the same time, since the end of the 90s of the XX century, the Middle Eastern countries leaders have distinctly begun to realize that the changes which have happened in the world oil market, the changes of strategy of international oil companies, transition of oil and gas branches to the category hi-tech, the aggravation of the international competition, the increase of investment threshold, and in general, the increase of oil factor in the conditions of strengthening the internationalization of various branches of world economy do necessary carrying out reforms on liberalizations of national economy, the participation of their countries in international investment processes, and in the near future, and in fight for attraction of a bigger share of these investments into the national economy by and large [5, p. 33].
The development of oil fields of the countries of the Middle East by the western companies belongs to the first third of the XX century. For many years the leading positions were taken here by the oil corporations known as «seven sisters», five of whom were American: «Exxon», «Standard oil of California», «Gulf oil», «Texaco», «Mobil», one - Anglo-Dutch («Royal Dutch Shell»), one English («British Petroleum») which exercised actually total control over oil streams of the region. Introduction in the international oil business has meant for American corporations, first of all, distribution of intra-American competitive fight for borders of the USA [6].
The situation has changed only when the OPEC has been founded.
The members of OPEC have demanded to establish firm prices of oil which level could not be changed without preliminary consultations with the governments of the export countries. The second requirement of participants of OPEC consisted of the zone of the Persian Gulf in including a rent in operational costs of the companies andto subtract income tax in 50 percent from the remained sum. It would mean the increase of a share of the countries – owners of oil for several percent, or for several honeycombs of millions of dollars a year. At last, the members of OPEC have refused to bear part of burden of trade expenses of the companies.
The requirements of OPEC, considering the subsequent succession of events, were modest and did not leave purely commercial framework. Then very few people believed that the newborn organization will survive. Too often in the past of the country of the Middle East tried to coordinate the actions, and too often their associations fell as a result of pressing of external forces, internal rivalry and split. The «Seven sisters», though have been concerned by emergence of OPEC, long time refused to recognize new reality [6].
Industrially developed states have combined the efforts against OPEC and began to put systematically into practice complexes of actions for weakening of influence of OPEC to the world market. For short terms they have achieved economy of consumption of oil products in the national economy and have adjusted service on ensuring large-scale petro storage in national borders, and also in neutral waters, and even in certain limits began to regulate demand for oil in the world market. It has facilitated their maneuverability in the field of a ratio between supply and demand on oil in international trade. As A. Vasilyev writes, in the USA during oil crisis of 1973-1974, it has limited the supply with liquid fuel of establishments, houses and schools, rationing of oil products and increase of taxes on them have announced plans. After World War II, it is for the first time having introduced rigid rationing of fuel oil. The international prices of oil, or emergence of obstacles in a way of their growth became the general result of all called actions or satisfactory for the West [4, p. 27].
However, the governments of the western countries have continued to disturb viability of OPEC against various factors of the world oil market unstable and subject to negative influence. Therefore in the last quarter of the XX century strengthening of interest of the West as in preservation of the control over functioning of all world oil market, and first of all in prices of oil, and in activization of the activity directly in regions of the main oil fields of the globe is observed.
At the beginning of 1974, Washington has put forward the plan of gradual overcoming of energy crisis. The head of American administration has suggested the creating the organization of the countries - importers of oil, some kind of «anti-OPEC» - the International Energy Agency to which has been intended the fight tool role against OPEC member countries. At the Paris conference of 1975 which has taken place at the beginning of February, the participants of agency have set the object to reduce the import by 10 percent, or approximately by 100 million tons per year, to accelerate development of other energy sources and to beat down the prices of liquid fuel. However, the organizers of conference have considered that such policy conceals in itself serious contradictions as cheaper oil would make unprofitable many types of energy and senseless huge capital investments.
A supposed way was having forced members of OPEC to reduce the prices of the raw materials, to support these prices at the high level in the import countries by means of the corresponding tariffs [6].
The main political task of the countries of the West, and the USA in particular, in a zone of the Persian Gulf since the end of the 70s of the XX century, it has consisted in preservation and consolidation of the political, economic and social positions acquired in the past in system of influence on foreign policy of the countries of the Middle East region.
First of all, the West has tried not to allow:
- Penetrations and expansions of pro-communistic ideology and influence of the former USSR;
- Strengthening of initiative and influence of the social and radical modes which are already created by then (Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan);
- Losses of the dominant positions in the sphere of acquisition of oil of the Persian Gulf;
- Emergence of new national social shocks which, as a rule, leads the societies captured by them to confrontation with interests of the USA and their allies in this region [7, p. 48].
At a boundary of the 80-90s after falling of ruling regime in Afghanistan and the end of the Iran-Iraqi war in the Gulf, it has begun to be entered into the first option of the western strategy the corresponding amendments. After military capture by Iraq of Kuwait and formation of hostile opposition between Iraq and the Middle Eastern countries was designated its second option which works till present. So, Iran, owing to the Islamic radicalism, especially in the attitude towards the USA and Israel, and also great opportunities for impact on a political situation in the Gulf, continued to be considered by Washington as the state, dangerous to its interests. One more enemy of the USA has been declared Iraq upon which at first has fallen the military action of punishment «Operation Desert Storm», and also total economic, transport and political blockade from the world community, and then has been carried out the open armed invasion, overthrown S. Hussein’s government, therefore the country has turned into the base of the international terrorism with not clear political prospect [7, p. 50].
Thus, it is possible to note that practically from the very beginning of manifestation of oil factor in international relations have changed the bases of formation of foreign policy of the interested states. The governments and the largest oil companies began to act as the main characters. At the same time, the oil companies were initiators of the majority of foreign policy steps on international scene. Besides, in the past the largest oil companies were quite often ready to represent the state in oil-extracting regions. Besides, they had the permanent missions which in a number of parameters were more influential than official national diplomatic missions of the countries in the respective regions.
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