Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz participated in a video conference with his counterparts from Morocco, Sudan, Bahrain and the UAE – the countries that normalized ties with Israel in recent months – as well as Egypt and the US on Thursday.Steinitz called the meeting a “historic milestone,” and an example of “leveraging energy to advance cooperation and dialogue with Arab states.“There is no doubt that the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum in Cairo that I initiated” – with Egyptian Energy Minister Tarek al-Mulla – “two-and-a-half years ago is now paving the way for more cooperation on renewable energy, research and development and the possibility to connect electric grids in the near future,” Steinitz said.The four Arab states, in deals brokered by the United States, have agreed to set aside hostilities with Israel.
Also on the call were energy ministers from the United States and Egypt. Cairo made peace with Israel in 1979."The ministers discussed how diplomatic relations between the countries could revolutionize national security, economic prosperity and adding content to the peace agreements, including investments in energy research and development, deploying infrastructure and technology," a statement from Steinitz's office said.Reuters contributed to this report.
