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Azerbaijan will supply electricity to the European Union (EU) through a new submarine cable, according to an agreement signed on Saturday in Romania and aimed at diversifying the bloc’s resources after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“We have decided to turn our back on Russian fossil fuels and turn to our reliable energy partners,” andxplied in Bucharest the president of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
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The financial and technical framework of the agreement is not specified in the statement published by the Romanian President, Klaus Iohannis, on the sidelines of a meeting between the different signatories.
The project foresees that the works begin in September 2023, and the infrastructure will not be in service before 2029.
With a length of 1,195 km and immersed almost exclusively in the Black Sea, the cable must connect Azerbaijan with Hungary, passing through Georgia and Romania. These four countries signed the agreement.
Romania and Hungary, members of the European Unionhave the support of the European Commission. “We are preparing to build the longest submarine power cable” so far, stressed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Since the invasion of Ukraine in February, the European Union has been promoting strategic collaborations with various producer states to try to reduce their dependence on Russian hydrocarbons.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev indicated that the project constitutes the “contribution” of his country “to European energy security” and also “a new bridge between European Union Y Azerbaijan”.
The wire represents a “new route full of opportunities” for Georgia, “a country with a European destiny” which could become a “energy center”, Ursula von der Leyen pointed out.
The president of the European Commission added that the work also “It will allow us to supply electricity to our neighbors, such as Moldova and Ukraine, contributing to the modernization of the Ukrainian energy system.”
The agreement covers other areas of cooperation, such as “new energy technologies, hydrogen production and the expansion of transit infrastructures”according to a statement from the Romanian presidency.
Source: Elcomercio
I am Jack Morton and I work in 24 News Recorder. I mostly cover world news and I have also authored 24 news recorder. I find this work highly interesting and it allows me to keep up with current events happening around the world.
