European Commission head in Israel for talks on energy, natural gas

Israel’s Energy Minister Karin Elharar is set to participate tomorrow in Cairo at the 7th ministerial meeting of the East Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF). According to Israel’s public broadcaster Kan, Elharar will meet in Cairo with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Egypt's Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Tariq al-Mulla, and European Union Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson. These meetings should serve as preparation for a memorandum of understanding on exporting Israeli natural gas from Egypt to Europe.

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett met this evening with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who was on a two-day visit to Israel and the West Bank. Earlier in the day, she met with Israel’s President Isaac Herzog and also delivered a speech at Ben Gurion University in Beersheba, where she received an honorary doctorate. Yesterday, von der Leyen met with Foreign Minister Yair Lapid and Elharar.