Brussels, 09/02/2015 (Agence Europe) - A European Parliament delegation led by the chairman of the energy committee, Jerzy Buzek (EPP, Poland), attending an inter-parliamentary seminar in Ankara on 5-6 February made clear the willingness of the EU to work for enhanced energy security in the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Serbia) and Turkey as part of a pan-European energy union.
“Recent events in the EU's neighbourhood have put energy security issues back at the top of the EU's policy agenda. The war in Ukraine and the crises in the Middle East coincide with many of today's global energy challenges, such as changing parameters of global energy markets or climate change. This underlines the importance of both the energy resources located in the South-Eastern Mediterranean Sea and the Southern Gas Corridor”, notes a statement signed by Buzek and his colleagues Marian-Jean Marinescu (EPP, Romania), Tonino Picula (S&D, Croatia), Nikolay Barekov (ECR, Bulgaria), Neoklis Sylikiotis (GUE/NGL, Cyprus) and Barbara Kappel (non-attached, Austria).
“There is no doubt that the Western Balkans and Turkey is a region of great potential and can contribute to our common security and stability. Our participation in the seminar underlines the willingness of the EU to work together with the countries of this region to enhance energy security for everyone at a time of increased uncertainty, provided that they act in accordance with international law and EU principles”, the statement adds.
The European delegation asked the representatives of the parliaments of the Western Balkans countries and Turkey to work with the EU to increase energy efficiency and offered to cooperate in the construction of energy interconnections and completion of the energy internal market. (Emmanuel Hagry)