EU official: East Med gas can wean bloc off Russian energy

By MENELAOS HADJICOSTIS
Associated Press

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — The European Union’s energy commissioner says natural gas from undersea deposits in the eastern Mediterranean can help replace Russia’s supply of the fossil fuel to Europe. Commissioner Kadri Simson told a conference in the Cypriot capital, Nicosia, on Friday that the region can play an increasingly important role as a short- to medium-term supplier of gas either in liquefied form or through pipelines to EU markets. She pointed to a June deal for Israel to send more gas to EU countries through Egypt. The EU has been successful in recent months in weaning itself off Russian gas, which from as much as 40% of its supply now amounts to less than 10%.