Fossil fuel development in the Eastern Mediterranean is both laden with promise and fraught with tension. Member states of the East Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF) have established joint ventures for exploration and drilling, pipeline building, and LNG export across the region, creating an international web of proposed infrastructure to tap its abundant reserves. But Turkey has continued with its own development plans, often contesting EMGF members’ maritime claims. Complicating matters is the Cyprus question, with the nation—whose government is part of the EMGF yet unrecognized by Turkey—at the center of the physical infrastructure network and the political jockeying between rival countries.
The prize for successful development may be substantial. As Asian countries switch off coal, Europe looks to get out from under Russian gas hegemony, and the world reckons with gas’ place as a bridge fuel in the transition, East Med gas exporters have an opportunity to carve out a significant role in the energy mix. However, their success depends on the ability of global stakeholders to find solutions to the complex geopolitical problems that have paralyzed the region’s export potential to this point.
You could read more about Energy and Geopolitics in the Eastern Mediterranean Here
Dr. Charles Ellinas, Senior Fellow Global Energy Center Atlantic Council
You could read more about Publishing World News Here, about You read, we publish Here, about Blue Green World Here