Israel joins the East Mediterrranean Gas Forum

Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz this morning signed Israel's accession to the regional gas forum. The ceremony was supposed to take place in Cairo, however due to the corona plague was held at the Zoom meeting, while the signed forms will be passed between the parties. The wording of the joint statement, as published by the member states, indicates that the forum will work together to develop the gas reservoirs and realize their potential for the benefit of all countries and their citizens.
The Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF) was born as a joint initiative of Minister Steinitz and Egypt's Minister of Energy Tareq al-Mula, against the background of natural gas discoveries in the Mediterranean. Apart from Israel and Egypt, the forum includes Jordan, the Palestinian Authority, Greece, Cyprus and Italy. The Ministry of Energy claims that in the last year and a half a constitution has been formulated for the organization, which was signed in initials in January by the energy ministers of the member states.
One of the main projects that will be promoted is the EAST MED project, the gas pipeline that is supposed to connect the gas transmission systems of Israel and Italy in 8-6 years, by laying new pipeline more than 2,000 km long on the seabed.
The members of the organization have determined that professional teams of the energy ministries in the member countries will be established, as well as an advisory committee in which international energy companies from the private sector will also participate. It should be noted that some of the companies operating in Israel, including the Greek-British Energy and Noble Energy (soon to be Chevron), have already held a round of meetings with the Egyptian Oil Minister at the end of 2019.
In addition to promoting energy issues, the establishment of the forum creates a geopolitical front against various countries, including Turkey and Russia, in preparation for next year's struggle to seize territory and gas supply contracts for Europe, in the post-Corona crisis.
Simultaneously with the ministers' signing of the forum, the Egyptian government is expected to hold an event in Cairo for the ambassadors of the member states, to interest other companies in joining the forum, and France and the US are on the agenda.