Author: Yelena A. Igisheva, Dr. Sc. (History), Associate Prof. of General and Economic History Dept; Sophia M. Moriy, postgraduate of General and Economic History Dept.

Abstract: Maintenance of energy security, which is a principal element of national security of any state, is gaining even more importance in contemporary world. The paper focuses on historical aspects and prospects of energy security and scrutinizes two major approaches to studying it that are based on two leading theories of international relations, namely neorealism and neoliberalism.

Keywords: energy security; energy supply; neorealism; neoliberalism; Washington Consensus; Beijing Сonsensus; importing countries; exporting countries; transit countries.