Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett (R) and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi attend a joint press conference in Jerusalem, on June 14, 2022. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Tuesday held talks with visiting Italian counterpart Mario Draghi to discuss a deal on exporting Israel's natural gas to Europe. (Yoav Ari Dudkevitch/JINI via Xinhua)
JERUSALEM, June 14 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Tuesday held talks with visiting Italian counterpart Mario Draghi to discuss a deal on exporting Israel's natural gas to Europe.
They discussed "the cooperation necessary to ensure that Israel's natural gas can also be used in Europe," which is "good news for Israel, Italy and Europe," Bennett said in a joint statement issued by the two sides.
The two leaders held a private meeting followed by an expanded meeting between Israeli and Italian officials with the participation of Israeli Energy Minister Karine Elharrar.
Bennett's office said in a separate statement that the leaders talked about boosting Israeli gas exports to Europe in the wake of the crisis in Ukraine.
"They discussed ways to enhance cooperation between Israel and Italy, the implications of the war in Ukraine, ways to deal with the global food crisis, and possibilities for cooperation in energy, especially in light of the potential for exporting natural gas to Europe via Egypt," the statement said.
The talks were part of a recent bid by the European Union to strengthen its energy cooperation with Israel in an attempt to decrease its dependence on Russian oil and gas.
Earlier on Tuesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who is also visiting Israel, said in a speech at the Ben Gurion University in the southern city of Beer Sheva that the EU is "exploring ways to step up our energy cooperation with Israel."
She said that the bilateral cooperation includes the work on an underwater power cable and a natural gas pipeline in the eastern Mediterranean. ■
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett (R) and Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi attend a joint press conference in Jerusalem, on June 14, 2022. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Tuesday held talks with visiting Italian counterpart Mario Draghi to discuss a deal on exporting Israel's natural gas to Europe. (Yoav Ari Dudkevitch/JINI via Xinhua)
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett (R) shakes hands with Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi at a joint press conference in Jerusalem, on June 14, 2022. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Tuesday held talks with visiting Italian counterpart Mario Draghi to discuss a deal on exporting Israel's natural gas to Europe. (Yoav Ari Dudkevitch/JINI via Xinhua)
