30 countries participating in high-level gas crisis talks in Malta

Thirty countries, including European Union member states and North African countries, have confirmed their participation for the high-level conference in Malta on the looming gas crisis.

The Malta Energy Conference, as the European Commission has dubbed it, will also see the active participation of leading stakeholders in the energy business. The two-day conference is jointly hosted by the EC Vice President of the European Commission, Günther Oettinger, and Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi.

Energy ministers from the participating 28 member states will also be discussing the current state of play of gas supply across Europe after Russia cut its gas supply to Ukraine because of unpaid bills.

Malta, together with the European Commission, has drafted a paper proposing a process for enhanced cooperation to ensure security of energy supply. A ministerial session is also expected to focus on the latest developments in the Mediterranean region.

The European Commission has recognised that Europe needs to diversify its sources of gas supply and lessen its dependence on Russia.

Malta is taking full advantage of this situation by encouraging bilateral talks between North African countries and EU states while it sets on becoming an energy hub in the Mediterranean.

Both the Italian and Cypriot Presidencies of the European Council support the role the Mediterranean can play in ensuring stable gas resources.

The conference’s first session, moderated by the Energy Minister, will take stock and look at predictions for gas in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean countries. The panel will include Edison CEO Bruno Lescoeur, Leonhard Birnbaum from EON, Socar vice president Vitaly Baylarbayov and energy policy specialist Professor Brenda Shaffer.

During the second session, the conference will focus on developments in North Africa. Participants include Tharwa Petroleum chairman Eng. Raaafat El-Beltagui, Libyan National Oil company representative Gadalla H. Gadallia and Jordan’s Energy Minister Mohammed Haled.

Developments in the Eastern Mediterranean will be discussed in the third session.