Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz is scheduled to host a meeting in Tel Aviv on Monday with senior officials from Cyprus, Greece and Italy to showcase Israel's initiative to form a global partnership for the construction of a record long undersea natural gas pipeline. Italian Minister of Economic Development Carlo Calenda, Greek Energy and Environment Minister Giorgos Stathakis and Cypriot Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism Yiorgos Lakkotrypis, as well as the European Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy Miguel Arias Canete, are all slated to attend the meeting. The energy ministers decided to convene after the European Commission announced that it was lifting its opposition to the construction of two additional gas pipelines from Russia to Europe. This project is expected to clear the way for Israel's swift entry into the European natural gas market. The planned 1,300-kilometer undersea pipeline is projected to be the longest in the world. The conduit is planned to transport gas from the Leviathan offshore natural gas deposit to Cyprus, Crete and Italy.
