Europe is experiencing energy problems due to the Russia-Ukraine war and the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Israel, Egypt and the EU doesn't contradict the talks with Turkey, said Michael Harari, a retired ambassador and policy fellow at the Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies (Mitvim) on Wednesday.
Harari told the Anadolu Agency (AA) that Israel's natural gas will be sent to Egypt, where it will be liquefied and then sent to Europe in the Liquefied natural gas (LNG) form.
Pointing out that there is a limited amount of gas to reach Europe within the scope of the said MoU, Harari said, "It is not an agreement that conflicts with the talks between Turkey and Israel. What happened between the governments of the two countries before is a thing of the past. Now, where do we agree, we can't agree, what are our interests? We must find answers."
He said that a possible agreement between Turkey and Israel should be evaluated in the long term.
"Europe's natural gas demand is increasing. The importance of this MoU is that it will encourage more investments for drilling in the region – and for Israel it is on its EEZ – for more discoveries that will enable more exports. This will enable substantial Israeli- Turkish discussions," he said.
"Europe is also sending a political message with this MoU as it aims to reduce dependence on gas and oil from Russia," he added.
The aforementioned tripartite agreement in no way contradicts the talks with Turkey, Harari said.
"The steps Turkey and Israel have taken in recent months are very important and good. Both sides should understand the necessity of working together. We lost 10 years on this issue. The governments of the two countries should identify the problems and figure out how to solve them. In my opinion, both sides are taking the right steps. Am I hopeful? Yes, I am hopeful. We have to be realistic and positive. Only if we do so, can progress be made."
Egypt, Israel and the EU on Wednesday signed a deal to increase the LNG sales to the EU countries, which aim to reduce their dependence on supplies from Russia as the war in Ukraine drags on.
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen, who visited Israel earlier this week, said the agreement was part of Europe’s efforts to diversify energy sources away from Russia and import hydrocarbons from "other trustworthy suppliers." She named Israel and Egypt, which have emerged as gas exporters in recent years following major offshore discoveries.
Under the deal, the EU will help Egypt and Israel increase their gas production and exploration in their territorial waters. It was not immediately clear how much gas the EU will import from either country.
Israeli Energy Minister Karin Elharrar said the deal resulted from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which caused a European energy crisis. She said it also highlights increasing cooperation between Egypt and Israel, two former foes.