The European Union expects Egypt to maintain "relatively high volumes" of liquefied natural gas (LNG) deliveries to Europe, EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson said yesterday. Speaking to Reuters on the sidelines of an energy conference in Egypt, Simson said: "Now we have to solve some of the bottleneck issues." "We do expect that, with the help of this MoU [framework deal signed in June last year], Egypt can keep the relatively high volumes of LNG that it delivered to Europe last year." The MoU was signed last June, the news wire said, with the aim of boosting exports of Israeli gas transported by pipeline to liquefaction plants on Egypt's Mediterranean coast, before being shipped north to Europe. Egypt has been trying to leverage its two liquefaction plants, production from its own gas fields and gas imports from Israel, to position itself as a regional energy hub.