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15-06-2023 13:04 |
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Joint
Press Release by the Cypriot and Israeli Ministers of Energy |
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The Israeli Minister of Energy
and Infrastructure, Israel Katz, and the Cypriot Minister of Energy, Commerce
and Industry, George Papanastasiou, met on 14-15 June for a round of
discussions aimed at strengthening the energy cooperation between the two
countries. During the talks, the Ministers and professional teams discussed the electricity interconnection between Israel and Cyprus, meant to connect the electricity grids of the two countries, with the goal of making progress ahead of COP28. Following the commitment
expressed by the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the Cypriot
President, Nikos Christodoulides, during their meeting last month, the
Ministers engaged in active discussion for cooperation in the development of
regional natural gas infrastructure, including the Cyprus Gateway initiative,
which aims to transfer natural gas through Cyprus to Europe, including from
Israeli natural gas resources. The Ministers committed to
initiate technical discussion through two expert groups for electricity,
natural gas and hydrogen interconnections with the aim to convene in July. The Aphrodite-Ishai matter was
also discussed, with the Ministers committing to continue negotiations with
the goal of reaching an agreement by the end of the year. Minister Katz:“The enduring alliance and shared vision between Israel and
Cyprus resonate powerfully, and in the present era, the energy sector assumes
a pivotal role as a bedrock for fortifying the bonds between our nations. It
is within this context that my fervent vision of propelling the State of
Israel into a vibrant energy bridge connecting the East and West finds its
manifestation, steadfastly contributing to regional stability. Undoubtedly,
Cyprus stands as an indispensable partner in the realization of this
audacious vision, and I extend my gratitude to Minister Papanastasiou for
graciously accepting my invitation. With great anticipation, I eagerly look
forward to forging ahead, achieving significant milestones in our
collaborative endeavours spanning the domains of natural gas and electricity.” Minister Papanastasiou: ‘I would like to thank Minister Katz and
his team for the warm welcome in Israel and for the fruitful deliberations we
had during the past two days. Our discussions reaffirmed the strong
commitment of our countries to further strengthening and deepening Cyprus and
Israel’s partnership, which is based on common values and shared strategic
interests including energy. We discussed about how the current energy crisis
highlights the need for energy diversification, security of supply and
increased interconnectivity, and we agreed to expedite our discussions in
various levels, in a result-oriented manner in order to create a reliable
energy corridor from the Eastern Mediterranean. In this framework, we focus
on the electrical interconnection between Cyprus and Israel as well as on how
Cyprus can serve as a Gateway for Israeli gas to Europe.’ Note: Photographs
by Shlomi Amsalem (GA/EP/SCH) |
