Filenews 24 May 2022
The urgent need to diversify the EU from fossil fuels was focused by the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, in her speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Mrs von der Leyen also referred to Cyprus and Greece, talking about the new LNG terminals. At the same time, he noted that "Russia is tooling up its energy reserves, but it is operating in the same way in terms of food reserves.
In particular, she stressed that "the climate crisis cannot wait. Now, however, the geopolitical reasons are also obvious. We need to move away from fossil fuels."
"The same applies to the diversification of our gas supply, another pillar of REPowerEU. As we speak, Europe is concluding new agreements with reliable suppliers all over the world. In March I agreed with President Biden to significantly increase LNG deliveries from the U.S. to Europe. More LNG and gas through pipelines will also come from the Middle East and North Africa.
New LNG terminals in Greece, Cyprus and Poland
New LNG terminals in Greece, Cyprus and Poland will soon be put into operation, as well as new interconnections," the President of the Commission added. She also stressed the importance of hydrogen.
"We are witnesses that Russia is tooling up its energy reserves. And that has a global impact. Unfortunately, we see the same pattern appearing in food security," she pointed out.
As Mrs von der Leyen said, cereal fields in Ukraine have been burned down and 'in Russia-occupied Ukraine the Kremlin army is seizing grain stocks and machinery'.
"Today, Russian artillery is bombing grain warehouses throughout Ukraine, deliberately. Russian warships in the Black Sea blockade Ukrainian ships full of wheat and sunflower seeds. The consequences of these shameful acts are there for everyone to see. World prices of grain are skyrocketing. And it is the fragile countries and vulnerable populations that suffer the most," the President of the European Commission noted.
As she pointed out, Russia is piling up its own food exports as a form of blackmail, blocking supplies to raise global prices, or marketing wheat in exchange for political support. "This is called the use of hunger and grain to exercise power," she added.
The President of the Commission highlighted the need to mobilise greater cooperation and support at European and global level. "Global co-operation is the antidote to Russia's blackmail," she underlined.
Finally, Von der Leyen said she was working with the President of Egypt, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, to organise an event on food security and solutions in Europe and the region.
Source: Capital.gr
