The European Union (EU) has been in talks with Iraq to enhance their energy cooperation, aiming to reduce the 27-nation bloc's dependence on Russia.
Benita Ferrero-Waldner, EU Commissioner for External Relations and European Neighborhood Policy, on Thursday met with visiting Iraqi Oil Minister Hussain Al-Shahristani.
Describing Iraq as a natural energy partner for the EU, Ferrero-Waldner said Iraq serves both as a producer of oil and gas and as a transit country for hydrocarbon resources from the Middle East and the Gulf to the EU.
"Energy is a key element for Iraq's economic development, and the EU energy market, as the largest integrated market in the world, offers interesting opportunities for Iraq," she said.
Ferrero-Waldner told reporters that the EU was keen to see Iraq link into the Mashreq Arab gas pipeline project from Egypt to Jordan, near the Syrian border.
The natural gas pipeline, still under construction, will allow European customers to tap into supplies from Egypt and other countries along the line.
Al-Shahristani said Iraq planned to develop its gas fields this year and should be in a position to supply Europe with gas "in two or three years."
"This was an opportunity for me to confirm with the EU Iraq's commitment to supply Europe with all its energy needs, not only in petrol but also in gas," he said.
EU Commissioner for Energy Andris Piebalgs, who also met Al-Shahristani, said that stronger energy cooperation with Iraq can contribute to the diversification of the EU's supply.
"One of the main tools we have to improve our security of supply is diversification. Establishing stable frameworks for energy cooperation with potential new suppliers is therefore a priority for us," he said.
Currently, the EU is heavily dependent on Russia for energy supply, with around a quarter of the EU's gas supplies from Russia.
In the last two years, price disputes between Russia and Belarus and Ukraine have caused supply disruptions in Europe and led the EU to seek new suppliers and transit routes.
Source: Xinhua
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