Israel is set to assume the presidency of the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum in July, a role that will place it at the center of efforts to reshape regional energy cooperation and expand the forum’s agenda beyond natural gas to broader economic and strategic energy issues.
The forum brings together Israel, Egypt, Greece, Cyprus, Italy, Jordan, France and the Palestinian Authority, with the United States, the European Union and the World Bank participating as observers.
This week, ministers and senior officials from member states gathered in Washington for the forum’s first in-person meeting in more than three years, marking what officials described as a significant step toward revitalizing its work. The meeting was hosted by U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright.
Israel was represented by Ambassador to the United States Yechiel Leiter and Chen Bar-Yosef, director of the Natural Resources Administration at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure.
Discussions focused on the future direction of the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum and the possibility of broadening its mandate beyond natural gas to include wider aspects of the regional energy economy. Participants said the aim was to strengthen cooperation among member states and advance energy security, innovation and sustainable development across the Eastern Mediterranean.
The last in-person ministerial meeting was held in Cairo in January 2023, after which most discussions shifted online. Officials said the return to face-to-face talks, alongside Israel’s upcoming presidency, could accelerate joint infrastructure projects and deepen alignment among Eastern Mediterranean energy markets.
