Cairo Tuesday reaffimed its intention to review gas export prices to Israel, PANA reported from here.
Egypt’s Petroleum Minister Abdullah Ghorab, said the ministry was now conducting what he described as difficult negotiations with the Israelis, to try and get fair international market prices for the country’s gas exports to the Hebrew state.
The move comes under intense public opinion pressure, where most Egyptians reject the process of exporting gas to Israel, which continues to occupy Arab land and practice inhuman measures against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.
Some Egyptians argue that the process was an obligation under the Camp David Peace Accord between Cairo and Tel Aviv but even those who believed it said Egypt should not be exporting gas to Israel at preferential prices and deprive itself of bearing the fruits of its natural resources.
Meanwhile, Ghorab said Egypt’s gas exports to Jordan and others would also be reviewed.
Ghorab asserted that Egypt’s gas exports to Israel was four per cent of the country’s output and affirmed that the needs of the local market had to be given top priority.
Former petroleum minister Sameh Fahmy, is now on trial for several alleged corruption charges, including ones related to the issue of fishy ultra generous prices of Egyptian gas exports to Israel.
Fahmy defended himself, saying he was only implementing the orders of ousted President Hosni Mubarak, who dictated such matters personally.
One of the ousted President’s closest friend and business tycoon, Hussein Salem, whose fortune reportedly exceeds US$ 300 billion, is answering charges of being behind the suspicious gas deals, owning large stakes in companies tasked with exporting gas to Israel.
Salem is wanted by the Interpol, on Egypt’s request and is believed to be in hiding in London.
The Supreme Council of the Armed Forces in Egypt has been running the affairs of the country since the ouster of Mubarak on 11 February
