Netanyahu: Israel plans to work on a project to supply gas to Europe via Cyprus

MOSCOW, May 14 – RIA Novosti. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel plans to work on a project that will supply gas to Europe via Cyprus.

The Prime Minister noted that he agreed with Greek Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides on Thursday to further develop the Israel-Cyprus-Greece alliance of Middle Eastern democracies.

“The alliance we formed a few years ago has very important perspectives, especially in terms of Israel’s position as an energy power. The project we focus on is the supply of gas from Israel to Europe through a gas pipeline from our fields to Europe. Netanyahu, in his speech at the opening of the Israeli government meeting “The gas liquefaction plant will be built in Cyprus. This connection will take the Israeli economy to a new level and strengthen Israel’s position as an important international energy supplier,” he said.

Netanyahu stressed that, in his view, arranging an efficient and cheap gas shipment from Israel to Europe would greatly strengthen his country’s position.

In January 2020, Greece, Cyprus and Israel signed an agreement on the construction of the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Pipeline (EastMed). Through this gas pipeline, it was planned to supply energy carriers from the Israeli Leviathan field and the Cyprus Aphrodite field to mainland Greece via the islands of Cyprus and Crete, and to bring gas to Italy in the future. The United States initially actively supported the project as it would lead to a reduction in EU dependency on Russian gas and a reduced Russian presence in the region, but later withdrew its support, citing environmental reasons, financial failure of the project, and financial failure of the project. Turkey is talking about the fact that it will create tension in the region because it is against the construction of the pipeline.