CAIRO: Egypt’s Energy Minister Tarek El-Molla has agreed, during a meeting with Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz, to link the Israeli Leviathan gas field with the natural gas liquefaction units in Egypt through a marine pipeline, the ministry said in a statement.
Following the establishment of the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum, the two ministers made clear their support for coherent and strong energy infrastructure in the eastern Mediterranean, with the aim of maximizing natural gas resources and reserves in the region, the statement read.
They also stressed the importance of contributing to the 2030 goals of the UN and the Global Climate Agreement to reduce harmful emissions by 2050, and discussed ways to increase Palestinian energy independence, including developing a Gaza marine field, the establishment of a power plant in Jenin, and supplying natural gas directly to the Palestinians.
This is the first visit for an Egyptian minister to Israel for five years. El-Molla was welcomed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the prime minister’s headquarters in West Jerusalem, in the presence of Steinitz.
Netanyahu said he believes the meeting to be a tremendous opportunity to achieve regional cooperation between Egypt, Israel and other countries.
“We believe that a new era of peace and prosperity is currently prevailing, thanks to the Abraham Agreements,” he added.
