EU, Azerbaijan launch Black Sea power link

Azerbaijan yesterday agreed to supply the European Union with electricity via a subsea cable, inking a deal in Bucharest as the bloc diversifies energy supply away from Russia following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen said the bloc was definitively "turning its back" on reliance on Russian fossil fuels and diversifying towards "reliable energy partners" after greenlighting construction of a 1,195-kilometre (745-mile) cable under the Black Sea. Construction on the subsea cable is due to start next year linking Azerbaijan to Hungary via Georgia and Romania, although it is not expected to come on stream before 2029. No financial details were forthcoming in a statement released by Romanian President Klaus Iohannis.