Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met this morning (Thursday 29 Oct 2015), in Jerusalem with the CEO of Italy's state energy company ENI, Claudio Descalzi. The meeting was also attended by Energy Minister Dr. Yuval Steinitz, National Security Advisor, Yossi Cohen and Prime Minister's Office Dir.-Gen. Eli Groner.
 
Prime Minister Netanyahu made the following statement:

"As part of the growing strategic cooperation between Israel and Italy in a variety of fields, I see great importance to cooperation with Italy also in the field of energy."
 
The Prime Minister and Mr. Descalzi discussed new developments in the eastern Mediterranean basin gas fields, including ENI 's new discovery in Egypt's Exclusive Economic Zone (economic waters). The two also discussed the future development of the gas fields in Israel's economic waters.
 
Prime Minister Netanyahu and Mr. Descalzi agreed that in light of the growing demand for natural gas in the region, and in order to continue to promote the common interests of the countries and major energy companies in the region, further possibilities for cooperation need to be explored, including joint development or transfer of natural gas to different consumers.
 
ENI's CEO presented the importance of synergies in joint development of natural gas in the eastern Mediterranean through future allocation of resources, as well as through export and transport infrastructure of Israel's gas.