Nord Stream: Not Just a Pipeline

Acknowledgements
This report is based on my master’s thesis in International Relations,
which was submitted to the University of Cambridge in July 2008 and
was subsequently awarded with ‘Distinction’.
First of all I want to thank the Fridtjof Nansen Institute for providing me
with a highly appreciated scholarship and the possibility to be a part of
the vibrant research environment at Polhøgda. I still miss the lunches
with fruit, quiz, and the occasional swimming in the Oslo Fjord. At FNI I
would like to thank Lars Rowe, Arild Moe, Geir Hønneland, Tor Håkon
Inderberg, Svein Rottem, Pål Skedsmo and Kristine Offerdal for reading
and commenting on my research. I owe a special thanks to Lars Rowe for
being particularly supportive along the way, and for pushing me to extend
my research trip in the Baltic Sea region. This trip was a great experience
both personally and academically, and it has undoubtedly enriched this
report. In this regard, I would also like to extend my gratitude to all my
interviewees, whose arguments have been an important supplement to the
written material on which my analysis is based. Without these interviews
it would have been significantly harder to analyse the different interpretations
of the Nord Stream pipeline.
Finally, I wish to thank several old and new friends who have taken the
time to read and critically comment on my drafts. In no particular order:
Eva-Kristin Urestad Pedersen, Anne Staver, Lars Raaum, Tor Håkon
Tordhol, Mike Palmer, Silje Nålsund, Silje Kjellevold, Helene Imislund,
Yngve Olsen Hvoslef, and Benjamin de Carvalho. I am sincerely grateful
for all your support. You really make a difference!
Berlin, November 2008
Bendik Solum Whist
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