EU eyes cooperating with Israel in energy sector

The EU intends to cooperate with Israel in the energy sector to reduce dependence on Russian energy carriers in the context of ongoing hostilities in Ukraine, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said on the occasion of awarding her an honorary doctorate from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel, Report informs referring to the website of the European Commission.

“The Kremlin’s behavior only strengthened our resolve to break free of our dependency on Russian fossil fuels. For instance, we are now exploring ways to step up our energy cooperation with Israel. We have two major projects in preparation: The world’s longest and deepest underwater power cable, connecting Israel with Cyprus and Greece. This will over time be electrification from renewable energies. That is where the investment has to go into. You have an abundance of these natural resources to produce renewable energy. And the second is a gas and clean hydrogen pipeline in the Eastern Mediterranean,” she said.

The head of the European Commission is in Israel on an official visit. On June 13, she met with Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid, and on June 14 evening she is scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.