Europe Launches Euro-Mediterranean Gas Platform
European and Jordanian officials launched a Euro-Mediterranean gas platform to increase cooperation between countries in the region.
‘The platform, launched on 11 June in Brussels, aims to incentivise dialogue, facilitate partnerships between stakeholders and strengthen cooperation between the Members of the Union for the Mediterranean’ reads a note released on Thursday.
The launch follows the visit of Miguel Arias Cañete, European Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy, to Algeria and Morocco in May. The platform is the first instrument to increase energy cooperation and it will be followed by similar instruments. The other two platforms will be for regional electricity market, and renewables and energy efficiency.
‘The Gas Platform is expected to strengthen security of gas supply in the region by promoting regional cooperation around gas exploration and production, by supporting the development of necessary infrastructure and by reinforcing regional gas trade exchanges, making the Mediterranean basin a major gas marketplace in the future.’
European institutions did not clarify how and if the new platform will impact on the attempt of Serbia and Turkey to join the European Union.
Over the last hours, Brussels has said a few words in favour of Turkey, but it did not materialise any commitment to Ankara’s quest.
‘The EP resolution, which was drafted this year by Mrs.Kati Piri, Dutch member of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, confirmed that Turkey is a strategic partner of the EU with its role in cooperation in the fields of economy, energy security and foreign policy, as already indicated in the 2014 Enlargement Strategy of the European Commission’ the office of Turkey’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote on Wednesday, adding that the EP resolution was ‘unfortunately… changed into a one-sided text far from being objective in the process of adoption by the EP Foreign Affairs Committee.’
Meanwhile, European Commission Vice-President Mr Maroš Šefčovič paid a visit to Belgrade on Wednesday and Thursday.
While Belgrade was saying that electricity prices went up 12% over the last 10 months, it also said that the US threw its political weight behind Belgrade, to encourage the EU to open the first chapters in the negotiations with Serbia.
‘He stressed that after the Prime Minister's talks in Washington, the position of the US administration is clear that it supports Serbia's European path and that the United States will encourage the European Union to open the first chapters in the negotiations with Serbia’ the Serbian government wrote, reporting the meeting between Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic and Ambassador of the United States to Serbia Michael Kirby.