In a joint letter sent to US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, expatriate members of Congress Gus Bilirakis and Nicole Malliotaki expressed their strong disagreement with the withdrawal of diplomatic support for the EastMed pipeline. The two MEPs call it a move that undermines Europe's energy independence, recalling that the EU has made the pipeline a "key project".
By undermining the project, the (US) administration is undermining three of our strongest allies in the region - Israel, Greece and Cyprus - as well as the European Union's hopes for energy independence and economic prosperity.[/B] Europe is facing an unprecedented rise in energy prices, driven by many political, geographical and economic forces. A major cause of soaring energy prices is the shortage of natural gas. Despite Europe's multi-decade push towards green and renewable energy sources, rising energy prices have ironically led to increased use of coal to meet demand. As natural gas is a cleaner energy option compared to coal, it is a critical energy source for governments seeking to transition to greener energy sources. The European Union recognizes this fact and has declared the EastMed pipeline a 'key project'."
Florida Congressman Gus Bilirakis called the Biden administration's actions on the EastMed pipeline unacceptable and hypocritical, as he recalled the US government has tacitly accepted Russia's Nord Stream pipeline. In fact, he pointed out that the pipeline would further deepen Europe's energy dependence on Russia.
"The (US) administration must realize the significant economic, environmental and national security implications at stake in this matter and reconsider its decision to withdraw support for this critical project," he said.
For her part, New York expatriate Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis pointed out that President Biden decided to put the brakes on the US Keystone XL pipeline and withdraw support from EastMed at the same time he accepted the Russian NordStream 2 pipeline. Malliotaki called these moves a miniature version of this administration's failed energy and foreign policy.
As she pointed out, "this president is asleep at the wheel (of the country) and the decisions he makes can have serious consequences for the economy and national security of the US and its allies."
Source: APM
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