Israel’s Energy Minister Karine Elharrar signed this morning in Cairo a trilateral memorandum of understanding with Egypt and with the European Union, enabling Israeli marine-extracted natural gas from the Mediterranean Sea to be exported to Europe through Egypt.

Addressing the 7th ministerial meeting of the East Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF), Elharrar said that the joint commitment by Israel and by Egypt to share their natural gas with Europe places both countries and the region as major global players in the energy market.

"This is a statement to those who see in our region only negative forces such as division and conflict. This memorandum attests to the fact that we are paving a new path, that of partnership, solidarity and sustainability. We are not just changing the paradigms in our region, but also how others perceive us and our regional future," Elharrar noted. "Together with our European partners, Egypt and Israel are sending a message that one can be competitive in the natural gas market while seeking a better environmental future."

Referring to the signing of the memorandum as a "historic moment," Elharrar said the agreement "doesn’t just safeguard natural gas exports to a Europe affected by horrendous outcomes of war [in Ukraine], but it also sets us on the road to a sustainable and more hopeful region."