An Israeli soldier sits at a desk within the kibbutz of Ein Zivan within the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights, which a lot of the world considers occupied Syrian territory, on December 19. [Matias Delacroix/AP]
Throughout a fast journey to Athens just lately, Israeli Power and Infrastructure Minister Eli Cohen signed an settlement together with his Greek counterpart Thodoros Skylakakis to strengthen vitality cooperation and connectivity between the 2 nations. At numerous conferences in Athens, Cohen mentioned with the CEOs of the Public Fuel Company (DEPA) and the Impartial Energy Transmission Operator (ADMIE), Konstantinos Xifaras and Manos Manousakis respectively, deeper vitality cooperation within the discipline of pure gasoline provide to Greece and an electrical energy linkup within the framework of the Nice Sea Interconnector venture.
Shortly earlier than his departure from Greece, Cohen granted Kathimerini an unique interview through which he underlined the superb relations between Athens and Jerusalem, whereas underscoring the significance of the Nice Sea Interconnector electrical energy cable that will join Israel with Cyprus and Greece. He additionally stresses that Israel is able to switch to Greece the knowhow for its Iron Dome anti-missile defend.
The final time you spoke to Kathimerini, the battle in Gaza had not began and also you had described that relations between the 2 states had “taken off.” One and a half years later, how would you describe present relations between the 2 nations?
The connection between the 2 nations is of strategic significance. I feel that, typically, Israel is just not solely combating for itself however combating for the West towards the Islamist radicals and their allies. It’s price mentioning that after I was the international minister, my Greek counterpart [Nikos Dendias] got here to Israel to assist us after October 7. We see a vivid future between the 2 nations [Greece and Israel], and we will definitely concentrate on additional strengthening our relationships as we now face separate threats and challenges.
At your assembly along with your counterpart, Thodoros Skylakakis, you signed an settlement to strengthen the strategic vitality cooperation and connectivity between the 2 nations. From Israel’s perspective, what’s the strategic significance of the Nice Sea Interconnector and when do you anticipate to see the vitality linkup to come back on stream?
Properly, vitality, and electrical energy particularly, is important for our lives and, due to this fact, the interconnection of the nations will really assist the 2 nations regularly in addition to in occasions of emergency and in addition will assist to scale back the costs of vitality, and electrical energy particularly, within the two nations. So, undoubtedly, the Nice Sea Interconnector venture will contribute to the strengthening and prosperity of our folks. As for the present delays, I feel that after a whole lot of discussions, we are going to do all the pieces from our aspect to advertise {the electrical} interconnection. Additionally, we’re very fortunate that we have now some main gasoline discoveries and we’re keen to export it to our mates like Cyprus and Greece. In the meanwhile, we’re exporting to our neighbors Jordan and Egypt, however we’re keen to do the identical with our mates in these two nations [Greece and Cyprus].
Throughout your go to to Athens, you additionally mentioned the strengthening of vitality hyperlinks and the transport of pure gasoline. Nonetheless, the EastMed pipeline appears to be at a standstill, and for a lot of its future is unsure. What stage are the discussions on the pipeline at and the way possible is its implementation?
In the meanwhile, EastMed remains to be below financial analysis and there may be nonetheless a feasibility examine that has not been accomplished. Nonetheless, at current, it appears that evidently the vitality interconnection venture through the electrical energy cable appears to be extra possible and possible to be carried out. It’s best to know that we see Greece extra broadly as our most important strategic companion and we cooperate in lots of areas. So, my most important goal is to strengthen and broaden our cooperation within the vitality sector as nicely.
Do you anticipate US President-elect Donald Trump’s enterprise mentality to contribute to the implementation of the 2 nations’ vitality tasks?
Trump is a superb good friend of Israel and I feel that the implementation of our vitality tasks is within the world curiosity of the USA, Europe and Israel, because it achieves connectivity between Asia and Europe, and thus will improve the connection between Israel and Greece. Subsequently, I consider that the Trump administration could be very related to the vitality objective that we have now set.
At a time when your relationship with Turkey goes by a disaster because of the battle and Ankara’s perspective towards Hamas, do you assume that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s stance affords the opportunity of strengthening Greek-Israeli relations?
Who’s the one who’s going with the strategies of the Islamic Brotherhood? On the finish of the day, [Erdogan] is bringing his nation right into a disaster. However no matter our relationships with Turkey for the time being, we assess our relationship with Greece, Cyprus and Europe as strategically essential. So even when our relationships with Turkey have been heat, or at this second when they’re chilly, we proceed to work intensively and concentrate on working collectively for the good thing about our two peoples [Greece and Israel].
Greece intends to deploy an anti-missile defend alongside the traces of Israel’s Iron Dome. Do you take into account it doable for the 2 nations to cooperate within the arms sector and within the switch of your know-how to the Greek armed forces?
I’m telling you the next: We’re undoubtedly keen to share our knowhow and capabilities, and the Greeks are our mates.
