Talks Between Israel and Cyprus on Gas Field Pipelines

Cypriot Energy Minister George Papanastasiou announced today, Monday, that discussions are underway between Cyprus and Israel regarding the establishment of a pipeline connecting the two countries' offshore gas fields. Papanastasiou stated, "Our goal is to produce electricity at a low cost... therefore, natural gas must come from the region." He added that Cyprus will host a workshop with industry stakeholders on May 29. He noted that establishing a gas liquefaction center could take about two and a half years, while the construction of a pipeline with Israel would take approximately 18 months. Papanastasiou stated, "It will be a passage, and we will work on creating it. Instead of building a pipeline, there will be a link between Israel and Europe passing through Cyprus." He added, "It can be considered a virtual pipeline passing through Cyprus to the rest of Europe in liquefied form," pointing to the possibility of sending liquefied gas from Cyprus to any market, including Asia.