JERUSALEM, June 15 (Xinhua) -- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has met here with senior Israeli officials to discuss ways Israel could help Europe to reduce its energy dependence on Russia, Israeli Prime Minister's office said Wednesday.
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett "acceded to von der Leyen's request for cooperation in exporting natural gas to Europe via Egypt," the office said in a statement.
The crisis in Ukraine has prompted the EU to seek alternatives to Russian fossil fuels, including in Eastern Mediterranean, to meet energy demand.
In a joint press briefing on Tuesday night alongside Bennett, von der Leyen said that the EU wants to boost its energy cooperation with Israel, and that the EU, Israel and Egypt are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding later on Wednesday, under which Israel will export natural gas in a pipeline to Europe via Egypt.
"It is, for us, very important, and I'm very grateful that we are now discussing this fascinating project that you are willing to increase the deliveries of gas to the European Union via Egypt," she said.
In the past 13 years, with the discovery of natural gas reservoirs off Israel's Mediterranean shore, the country "went from being a gas importer to becoming a gas exporter," Bennett said during the joint press briefing.
The country is "currently working to produce natural gas from -- more natural gas from -- Israel's economic waters," Bennett said. ■