Jordan eager to have electricity connectivity with Cyprus

Jordan has expressed an interest in collaborating with Cyprus to establish electricity connectivity with the European Union (EU), it was announced on Thursday.

The expression of interest came up during a meeting Energy Minister George Papanastasiou had with his Jordanian counterpart Saleh Ali Al-Kharabsheh and the country’s Minister of Industry, Trade, and Supply, Yousef Shamali.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the official visit to Jordan of President Nikos Christodoulides.

According to an announcement from the energy ministry, Papanastasiou explored ways to strengthen cooperation between the two countries in various areas, including energy, trade, investments and business partnerships.

The two Jordanian ministers discussed the progress in renewable energy and energy saving in both countries and explored ways to enhance energy collaboration highlighting the significance of potential electricity connectivity with the EU through Cyprus.

As part of the activation of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between Cyprus and Jordan in 2014 to foster energy cooperation, both countries agreed to establish a technical committee to formulate a roadmap with concrete actions in electricity and natural gas, taking into account existing collaborations with other countries in the region in specific projects.

Additionally, discussions between Papanastasiou and Shamali revolved around targeted and mutually beneficial bilateral trade development, particularly supporting private initiatives to bolster partnerships in both service and product sectors. The two ministers also agreed to sign a Cooperation Memorandum outlining specific trade areas where Cyprus and Jordan could enhance collaboration.