Eurocommissaris De Palacio bezoekt Jordanië en Egypte voor samenwerkig op onderzoeksterreinen transport en energie (en) - Montesquieu Instituut

Loyola de Palacio, Vice-President of the European Commission, in charge of Energy and Transport, will visit Amman (Jordan) and Cairo (Egypt) from 23 to 27 September 2004. The main objective of this official visit is to discuss the development of the region's oil, gas, electricity and transport sectors in the framework of Euro-Mediterranean co-operation and the European neighbourhood Policy.

In Jordan, Vice-President de Palacio will encounter King Abdullah II, and, afterwards, hold a meeting with Mr Azmi Khreisat, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, and Mr Raed Abu Soud, Minister of Public Works and Housing and Minister for Transport.

The meetings will concern the key role of Jordan in the development of a regional oil and gas market, and its key role as a future transit country for gas resources to the EU. Discussions will also focus on enhancing the security of energy supplies and on the ongoing reforms in the Jordanian energy sector, particularly in the electricity sector. The discussions will also cover transport issues, in particular the ongoing transport sector reforms. They will also discuss the starting of horizontal negotiations in the air transport sector and the opportunity to launch twinning projects between Jordan and the EU in key areas like maritime safety and security. The role of Jordan in promoting Mashrek sub-regional cooperation in the transport sector will be encouraged.

In Egypt, Vice-President De Palacio will meet Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif. Discussions will also be held with Mr. Sameh Fahmy, the Minister of Petroleum, Mr Hassan Ahmed Youness, the Minister of Electricity and Energy, Mr. Ahmed Shafik, the Minister of Civil Aviation, Dr. Esam Abd El-Aziz Ahmed Sharaf, the Minister for Transport and with Mrs. Fayza Abu El Naga, the Minister of International Co-operation.

The meetings will concern the increasingly important role Egypt will play in the development of a regional oil and gas market, particularly as a future supplier of gas resources to the EU. Discussions will also cover the continuing reform of the Egyptian energy sector and the promotion of new and renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power. The harmonisation of the Mashrek electricity market, as well as the trans-Mashrek gas market will also be covered.

The discussions will tackle as well transport issues, in particular the ways and means to strengthen bilateral co-operation through twinning projects between Egypt and the EU, and the issue of co-operation in the maritime safety sector. The active role of Egypt in regional co-operation activities will also be highlighted with the inauguration by Vice-President Mrs de Palacio of the Galileo Euro-Med Co-operation Office based in Cairo. This regional Office will promote EGNOS and Galileo applications and services in the Mediterranean region.