Mr Hokstein was personal when he made these comments. Mr Hochstein fully supports the interconnection of energy in the eastern Mediterranean and Europe through Greece. The State Department spokesman was responding to comments from Amos Hockstein, the State Department’s senior energy security adviser, who opposed the disgraceful EastMed pipeline. The U.S. official was speaking at a Turkish DRT campaign documentary against Eastmet.
Report: Hellos Journal
Although it was made clear that he was an individual when he issued the statements, the same statement today emphasizes that the US government supports other energy projects, but not the Eastmet pipeline. “Mr. Hochstein and the United States hope it will be very useful to shift our focus to electricity and interconnectors,” the statement said. Responding to a question from the Hellos Journal and the Open, the State Department spokesman emphasized the following:
We are committed to energy conservation and connectivity in the eastern Mediterranean. Electricity connectivity with Europe will connect and connect the eastern Mediterranean countries with Europe, allowing future generation of electricity generated from renewable energy sources for the benefit of regional countries.
We support projects such as the planned Euro-Africa connection from Egypt to Cyprus and Greece, and the proposed EuroAsia connection to connect Israel, Cyprus and Europe’s electricity networks. Such projects will not only connect key energy markets, but also help prepare the region for a transition to clean energy.
These projects will pave the way for a transition to clean energy in the region and in Europe. At a time when Europe’s energy security is – more than ever – a matter of national security, we are committed to deepening regional ties and advancing clean energy technologies.
The United States is critical of new fossil fuel infrastructure projects to ensure that US support is not paid for in line with U.S. climate priorities and does not lead to unused assets in the future.
We support a number of projects that contribute to energy conservation and diversify gas supplies, such as the Alexandroupolis Floating Storage and Re-Gasification Unit (FSRU) and liaison with Bulgaria and northern Macedonia, which will be completed soon. Cheaper than the East Med gas pipeline.
