During the EU MED-9 Summit being held in Malta, Malta and eight other European countries agreed on Thursday to work toward turning the region into a hub for renewable energy.
Malta, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain signed a joint statement at the end of their EU Med9 meeting in Valletta, in the presence of European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson.
Through the declaration, they confirmed their commitment “to ensure continuous efforts to improve energy security, energy affordability and to accelerate the transition towards renewable energy.”
Energy Minister Miriam Dalli told a concluding press conference that the vision was to replicate in the Mediterranean the success already achieved in the North Sea when it comes to offshore renewable energy deployment.
They also agreed to invite the EU Commission to explore options for reinforced funding for interconnections between EU and non-EU Mediterranean countries.
Answering questions, Dalli said that having the European Union collaborate with North African countries on energy renewables could be a catalyst in helping maintain stability and peace in the region.
She urged the commission to help accelerate close cooperation among member states and to facilitate the development of new partnerships with other regions. “Cooperation with North Africa will play a vital role in accelerating the deployment of renewables in the EU,” she said.
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