Greece and Cyprus to solve the energy problems without control of European Commission

Baku.14 March.REPORT.AZ/ Member States should have the right to enter into agreements with third countries in the field of energy, without control by the European Commission, the minister of industrial reconstruction, Environment and Energy Greece Panayiotis Lafazanis and MEP from the Cypriot AKEL party, former Minister of Energy of Cyprus Neoklis Sylikiotis said.

Report informs referring to Russian RIA Novosti, their meeting was held on Friday in Athens.

"Lafazanis and Sylikiotis stressed the need to coordinate efforts to address the energy challenges of the two countries and contribute to the implementation of a progressive European policy on energy security, fighting against poverty" declares a press release of the Greek Ministry.

Representatives of the two countries called for expanding energy cooperation with other countries outside the EU.

"They supported the need for multidimensional international energy relations of the Member States and their right to enter into agreements with third countries in the energy sector without having to claim any and even more preliminary review by the European Commission," the document says.

Now all transactions of the EU in the energy sector to be agreed with the European Commission, which can block the agreement. So, Greece almost two years can not complete the sale of state-owned company, the operator of the Greek national gas transportation system. In summer of 2013 it acquired by the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) for 400 million euros.