The EP proposed to make Cyprus an energy hub of Europe

Christoforou sent a letter to the European Commission, in which he stated that Cyprus could help in the issue of energy supply to the EU in the light of the situation with energy resources, which arose, according to him, because of the Russian special operation in Ukraine. 

“Given the presence of significant gas deposits in its (Cyprus. -

) exclusive economic zones and adjacent territory on the far southeastern border of the EU, Cyprus occupies a key geographical position, conducive to becoming a permanent energy hub for the countries of the region,” believes MEP.

He added that renewable energy production could also be developed on the island.

According to Christoforou, the European Union should invest in the energy sector of Cyprus, as the country has "unique capabilities in terms of developing solutions for the EU's energy supply."

As Alexander Frolov, deputy director general of the National Energy Institute, noted in a conversation with RT, Europe is now ready to consider any energy project, but it is unlikely that it will be possible to replace Russian fuel.

“It is obvious to everyone in the European Union that there are no alternatives to Russian gas.

There are talks with Azerbaijan, talks about the possibility of Israeli gas supplies.

And of course, Cyprus pops up with cries about the presence of gas.

However, the capacity of the gas pipeline, taking into account both the Israeli and Cypriot fields, is 10 billion cubic meters per year.

For Cyprus, of course, this is a monstrous amount, but for the EU it is extremely small, ”the expert explained.

Thus, the proposal of the Cypriot politician is just an example of a battle for funding, Frolov added.

In early May, Cypriot President Nikos Anastasiades said that hydrocarbon reserves on the island's shelf could diversify gas flows to Europe.

On July 8, Russian leader Vladimir Putin warned of dire consequences for the West if Russia cuts fuel.

He stressed that Europe's attempts to replace energy resources led to higher prices for hydrocarbons and more expensive energy for consumers.