Six countries on Tuesday signed the charter of the Cairo-based East Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF), thus formally establishing the organization, Egypt's Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ministry said
CAIRO/TEL AVIV (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd September, 2020) Six countries on Tuesday signed the charter of the Cairo-based East Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF), thus formally establishing the organization, Egypt's Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ministry said.
The signing ceremony took place as a teleconference and involved energy ministers from Italy, Israel, Greece, Egypt, Cyprus and Jordan. Senior Advisor to the US Secretary of Energy Victoria Coates and Cristina Lobillo, the head of the EU directorate general for energy, acted as observers.
"The forum is open to any Eastern Mediterranean state. Also, any country of the region or outside of it can apply for the status of the observer within the organization, on condition that it will respect the forum's principles and goals and shares the desire to cooperate for the benefit of the entire region," the countries said in a joint statement quoted by the Egyptian ministry.
Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz expressed his satisfaction on Twitter.
"Dream comes true!" Steinitz wrote.
His Egyptian counterpart, Tarek El Molla, announced during a webinar that France had asked for permanent membership in the new organization.
The forum is said to be involved in creating a regional policy regarding natural gas. The sides will also look into the rational use of the current infrastructure and its further development.
