Egypt will not export natural gas to Israel

Egypt eventually closed the door for Israel to import gas after that door had been ajar since 1993 and sometimes wide open, with Cairo and Ankara signing an agreement in principle on a gas transaction worth $10 billion that will be carried out in 2001.

A petroleum ministry source said Egypt has responded to the pressures of Egyptian public opinion not to export gas to Israel and at the same time has achieved an important strategy with Turkey from which the two sides will benefit in the future.

The energy market in Egypt is large, with an increasing demand for natural gas. It inlcudes stations for electricity generation as well as three main enterprises for developing gas, which are the Western Sahara project, the Mediterranean Sea and the West Delta project.