EU signs gas deal with Egypt, Israel to end ‘dependency’ on Russia

(EurActiv, 16 Jun 2022) Israel and Egypt plan to boost gas exports to Europe under an agreement signed during a Cairo visit Wednesday (15 June) by the European Commission president as the bloc seeks to wean itself off Russian gas.

Ursula von der Leyen also pledged relief worth €100 million for food security in Egypt, which has been reeling from grain shortages as a result of the Ukraine war.

“Russia’s war against Ukraine has exposed our European dependency on Russian fossil fuels, and we want to get rid of this dependency,” von der Leyen told a joint press conference with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

“We want to diversify to trustworthy suppliers, and Egypt is a trustworthy partner.”

She had vowed on Tuesday, during a visit to Israel, to confront Russia for its use of fossil fuels to “blackmail” European countries.

The memorandum of understanding on gas exports between Egypt, Israel and the EU was signed at the East Mediterranean Gas Forum on Wednesday (15 June).

It says the three sides “will endeavour to work collectively towards enabling a stable delivery of
natural gas to the EU that is consistent with long-term decarbonisation objectives and is based on the principle of market-oriented pricing”.

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EurActiv, 16 Jun 2022: EU signs gas deal with Egypt, Israel to end ‘dependency’ on Russia