Dar Al Hayat: European Strategy for Energy to Strengthen Relations with the Arab World - by Ibrahim Mohamed

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European Strategy for Energy to Strengthen Relations with the Arab World - by Ibrahim Mohamed

The EU countries, especially Germany, are intensifying their efforts at the national and regional levels in an attempt to develop a new strategy for energy sources. This comes in light of a step taken by Russia early this year when it cut gas supplies to Ukraine, because of political differences between the two countries. This instigated wide European criticisms and shook the EU countries' confidence in the credibility of Moscow. The EU countries have also been concerned that Moscow may use the gas and oil cards to blackmail them and achieve political ends.

The new European strategy, which has begun to crystallize, aims to diversify sources of energy on one hand, and find ways for further guidance on the consumption of non-renewable resources, especially oil, on the other hand. Diversification leads to reducing dependency on Russian sources of energy for other sources in Central Asia, North Africa and the Middle East, according to European officials, especially German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. It also means providing more support and facilities to find local alternatives using local renewable sources of energy, at the forefront of which are the sun and wind.

The intensive visits recently paid by European officials to the Middle East and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) States, stressing their vital geopolitical importance to Europe, constitutes one of the most important indicators in this respect. These visits come at a time when officials from both sides are exerting stupendous efforts to remove the final obstacles to the signing of the Gulf-European free trade zone agreement, which is hoped to open the door to a strategic partnership, not only confined to the economic aspect but that also includes political and security affairs as well. That is, strengthening Arab-European relations in general and the Gulf-European in particular.