EU Pushes for New Trade Routes to Bypass Strait of Hormuz Risks

Moscow (ANTARA) - The European Union will focus on avoiding the Strait of Hormuz in its trade routes with the region by seeking alternative paths, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday. “We will… discuss how to reduce our dependency on transit through the Strait,” von der Leyen told a press conference. “For example, alternative export routes that are more resilient and offer more options have been created, and more will be built – a classic example is IMEC,” she added, referring to the planned India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor project. Von der Leyen noted that the EU is once again seeing how its energy dependence has been “weaponised,” sparking discussions on ways to reduce the bloc’s reliance on commodity shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. The European Commission President welcomed the recent announcement of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the US and Iran, while stressing that “the priority now is implementation.” She insisted that the Strait of Hormuz must be reopened and freedom of navigation restored without levies, adding that this is crucial for regional stability and the global economy.