Will Egypt accept Iran’s offer to supply oil?
Iran has found an opportunity to meet Egypt’s local market needs for petroleum products, but will Egypt seize this opportunity at the expense of its ties with the Gulf countries?
CAIRO — Egypt has made continued efforts to secure the country’s needs for petroleum products since the Saudi Arabian oil company Aramco halted the supply of petroleum products to Egypt in October. The halt came following Egypt's vote at the UN Security Council Oct. 9 in favor of a Russian resolution on Syria (which Saudi Arabia strongly opposed) and in spite of an April 1 contract that stipulates Saudi Arabia supply Egypt with such products for five years.
For the third consecutive month, the world’s biggest oil company, Aramco, has refused to abide by the contract with Egypt without giving Egyptian officials a clear reason for the halt of the supply of petroleum products.
As Egypt's Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources started accepting bids to meet the country’s needs for gasoline, diesel fuel and fuel oil on Oct. 10, Egypt’s minister of petroleum and mineral resources, Tarek el-Mulla, began communicating with a number of states to obtain petroleum cargoes.
During a visit to Jordan Oct. 27, Mulla discussed with Jordan’s minister of energy and mineral resources, Ibrahim Saif, the various aspects of cooperation in the oil and gas sector between the two countries.
