Egypt inks deals with Syria for gas, oil product supply

CAIRO, Jan 5 (KUNA) -- Egypt and Syria on Monday finalized two memoranda of understanding (MoUs) under which Cairo will provide Damascus with natural gas and various petroleum products to address critical energy shortfalls.
The Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources announced the deals were reached during a meeting between Egyptian Minister Karim Badawi and a visiting Syrian oil delegation led by Deputy Energy Minister for Oil Affairs Ghiath Diab.
The ministry press release specified that the Egyptian gas, earmarked primarily for power generation, would be delivered to Syria via regasification vessels or existing transportation networks.
Minister Badawi underscored Egypt's commitment to providing technical expertise and capabilities for the rehabilitation of Syria's war-damaged gas and oil infrastructure.
The agreements reinforce Egypt's burgeoning role as a regional energy hub. Cairo has recently cemented similar energy cooperation pacts with Lebanon for natural gas supply and with Cyprus for linking Cypriot gas to Egyptian liquefaction facilities. (end) esm.ibi