Dr. Davood Ahmadzadeh in an interview with the site of Strategic Council on Foreign Relations touched upon the gas agreement among the EU, Egypt and the Zionist regime and noted:” Even before the war in Ukraine, the EU was about to reduce its dependence on Russian energy. It intensified the efforts following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. They take note to main oil and gas suppliers of the Middle East to make up their energy deficit”.
He touched upon the advantages of the energy in individual countries of Iran, Qatar and Saudi Arabia and added:” many plans that are tabled including the possibility to receive Qatari gas can not be logistically materialized in short term. The conditions have made Europe become more proactive, as we witnessed the visit paid by the President of the EU Commission to the occupied territories in order to realize the negotiations to transfer natural gas of these regions through Egypt”.
Having stated that the contract to export the Zionist regime natural gas to the EU was valid for three years but could be extended for another two years too, the university professor said:” According to the contract, natural gas will be exported to Egypt where it will be turned into liquid gas and will be re-exported to Europe. Although the Agreement is considered as an important political – security and economic measure that has numerous consequences, but reservoirs of the East Mediterranean are limited and thus can not totally make up Russian gas export to Europe”.
Ahmadzadeh explained:” Russia used to supply about 40% of the Europe’s annual consumption of natural gas. i.e. more than 150 billion cubic meters. The Zionist regime can not totally replace Russia but the East Mediterranean countries can supply about 20 billion cubic meters per year. In fact, with 500 million cubic foot or even one billion cubic foot per day, Egypt still can not meet the gas requirements of European countries. Moreover, the Russian gas could quickly reach to Europe through gas pipeline. But, due to security and logistical reservations, the East Mediterranean gas is going to initially turn into liquid and then being exported”.
Having stated that a part of stances adopted and measures taken are mostly political maneuver and publicity, the expert of international affairs referred to the disputes among the regional countries about oil and gas reservoirs of the East Mediterranean and added:” the Zionist regime has disputes with Lebanon over oil and gas reservoirs of these regions. In addition, as an important activist, Turkey was seeking its interests which have been impressed by the gas agreement among Egypt, the Zionist regime and Europe”.
He pointed out to disputes and tensions between Turkey and Europe and said:” Turkey was looking for pipeline transport in order to export gas of the fields in the occupied territories to Europe through pipeline, and thus gains more authority and concessions through transit of energy, but the developments went on the other way. Now, that Europe has problems to buy energy, it has to acquire gas not through pipeline but in liquid from the Zionist regime and Egypt”.
Having pointed out to the efforts made by the Zionist regime to tie itself with economic agreements and win security in this way, Ahmadzadeh noted:” We already witnessed an unwritten alliance between Moscow and Tel Aviv, but because of the stances taken by the regime after the war in Ukraine, the relations have been impressed. Moscow has recently announced that 35 Zionist nationals were fighting along with Ukrainians in the war, nine of whom were killed. The gas agreement may exacerbate the crisis in their relations too”.
He noted:” in such a situation, the Zionist regime makes effort to seize the opportunity and thus turns itself from a security and political entity to an entity that can supply the energy and economic benefits of Europe. But anyway, it has limited capacity and the European Union will face, not in far future, more challenges in oil and gas fields”.
Having referred to the objectives of Egypt by signing gas agreement with the Zionist regime and Europe, the professor of international relations added:” Egypt is also among the strategic allies of the Zionist regime and the West, and now in view of its isolation, its disputes with Turkey and its unstable political as well as social situations emanated from suppressions, it tries to strengthen itself in the region through more solid relations with the Zionist regime. Egypt wants to present itself (as a savior) to EU from energy point of view and through transit of gas and oil”.
Having stated that with the Agreement, the Zionist regime is the main winner of the competition that has already started in the Mediterranean Sea, he said:” it was already agreed that energy reservoirs of the occupied territories to be transited through Turkey. But after the disputes caused by regional and international policies of Turkey, it seems that Europe has greater trust in and assurance to Egypt accompaniment”.
Having stated that the authorities of the Zionist regime under the pretext of Hamas probable attack on installations of the regime at the sea, have asked Cairo to exert pressure on the Palestinian group, Ahmadzadeh added:” the Agreement among the Zionist regime, Egypt and Europe can certainly be called as a new economic and political coalition. Within this framework, Europe and the Zionist regime will give concessions to increase Egypt’s authority in the region in order to take the benefits of the economic agreement and to advance the objectives of Abraham Peace Accord. Egypt is still the liaison between the Zionist regime and various Arab countries”.