- Title: Greece, Israel, Cyprus sign EastMed gas pipeline deal
- Date: 2nd January 2020
- Summary: ATHENS, GREECE (JANUARY 2, 2020) (REUTERS) ISRAELI MINISTER OF ENERGY AND WATER, YUVAL STEINITZ, STANDING BY TABLE BEFORE SIGNING (SOUNDBITE) (English) ISRAELI MINISTER OF ENERGY AND WATER YUVAL STEINITZ, SAYING: "If Turkey would be interested, the door is open. We are ready also to discuss some kind of cooperation, energy cooperation, also with the Turks. We are not against the Turks but we are very much in favour of the EastMed gas pipeline project."
- Embargoed: 16th January 2020 19:00
- Keywords: EastMed pipeline Energy policy Mediterranean Sea Turkey natural gas
- Location: ATHENS, GREECE
- City: ATHENS, GREECE
- Country: Greece
- Topics: Diplomacy/Foreign Policy,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA002BUHCU2V
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Greece, Cyprus and Israel on Thursday (January 2) signed a deal to build a 1,900 km (1,180 mile) subsea pipeline to carry natural gas from the eastern Mediterranean's rapidly developing gas fields to Europe.
The energy ministers of Greece, Israel and Cyprus - Kostis Hatzidakis, Yuval Steinitz and Yiorgos Lakkotrypis - signed the final agreement on the pipeline at a ceremony in Athens.
Although Turkey opposes the project, the countries aim to reach a final investment decision by 2022 and have the pipeline completed by 2025 to help Europe diversify its energy resources.
European governments and Israel last year agreed to proceed with the so-called EastMed project, a $6 to $7 billion pipeline project that is expected initially to carry 10 billion cubic metres of gas per year from Israeli and Cypriot waters to the Greek island of Crete, on to the Greek mainland and into Europe's gas network via Italy.
The signing of the EastMed pipeline comes weeks after Turkey and Libya struck an accord on sea boundaries in the Mediterranean, a move which Greece, Cyprus and Israel opposed. Analysts say that pact could present a barrier to the proposed pipeline which would have to cross the planned Turkey-Libya economic zone.
(Production: Angeliki Koutantou, Stamos Prousalis, Phoebe Fronista) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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