Fahmy discusses in Bucharest Egypt's gas supplies to Romania

Egypt's Minister of Petroleum Sameh Fahmy, currently visiting Romania, agreed with the Romanian Deputy Premier and Minister of Economy and Trade to form a joint group to be in charge of preparing a study on the best ways to provide Romania with the Egyptian natural gas.

Fahmy, who leads a major delegation discussed with the Romanian official ways of boosting cooperation in oil and gas industries.

Egypt's ambassador in Bucharest Wafaa Basim said that the Egyptian minister held a detailed discussions with the Romanian minister on providing Romania with gas through the European gas pipeline whose first stage is expected to be carried out in 2006 or the Gas Swap from the Egyptian-Arab pipeline, which extends from Jordan to Syria and finally to Turkey.

The ambassador added that the Romanian minister suggested holding a meeting grouping ministers of Egypt, Turkey, Romania and Russia which is the key gas supplier to Romania.

The two sides discussed also setting up a joint venture to manufacture oil and gas equipment.

Egypt will be presented in the new proposed company by the General Petroleum Corporation, Arab Organization for Industrialization and Petrojet.