Under the seabed in Cyprus is gas. And the government in Nicosia and the energy companies are well aware of this, especially now that Europe wants to become less dependent on Russian gas.
But is it all as simple as it seems? Because Cyprus is still a divided island with the Republic of Cyprus and the northern Turkish part. The question is whether large investments in wells, terminals and pipelines in such a geopolitical wasp nest stand a chance.
Von der Leyen said the EU is exploring how to expand energy cooperation with Israel. The construction of a gas pipeline and electricity cable across the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea is envisaged. They would then have to go via Cyprus to Greece. “The Kremlin used our dependence on fossil fuels from Russia to blackmail us,” Von der Leyen said. “But that only strengthens us in our decision to detach ourselves from it.”