Energy minister briefs Cypriot counterpart on Jordan’s green energy transition

AMMAN — Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Saleh Kharabsheh and his Cypriot counterpart Giorgos Papanastasiou on Wednesday agreed to form a joint technical team to develop an action plan to implement the Jordan-Cyprus memorandum of understanding on renewable energy cooperation. 

During a meeting with Papanastasiou, Kharabsheh referred to the "distinguished" relations between the two countries, stressing the importance of future opportunities for cooperation focused on renewable sources and energy efficiency, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The minister briefed Papanastasiou on the status of the energy sector in the Kingdom, the ministry's achievements in raising the renewable electricity quotient, plans for green hydrogen production and the Jordanian-Saudi-Iraqi electrical connection project.

For his part, Papanastasiou voiced his country's willingness to cooperate on a regional electrical interconnection project, and referred to the need to implement the bilateral memorandum of understanding on renewable energy.

He also reviewed Cyprus’ developments in natural gas exploration, stating that there is a "great" possibility that natural gas exists in three local fields.

Also on Wednesday, Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply and Minister of Labour Yousef Shamali met with Papanastasiou to discuss cooperation in the industrial, trade and investment fields, Petra reported. 

During their meeting, the two sides stressed the importance of taking practical steps to increase the volume of bilateral trade. They also highlighted the need to direct the Jordanian and Cypriot business communities to establish investment projects in light of the opportunities presented during a summit in Amman on Tuesday, which gathered His Majesty King Abdullah and Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides.

For his part, the Cypriot minister stressed the need for continued work to maximise the outcomes of the summit, of His Majesty and the President of Cyprus, and previous summits that also included Greece, in a bid to benefit from available opportunities in fields such as trade, energy and tourism.

Meanwhile, President of the Jordanian Businessmen Association (JBA) Hamdi Tabbaa met with Papanastasiou over economic, commercial and industrial cooperation, according to Petra.

Tabbaa said that the minister's visit to Jordan reflects the depth of the historical bilateral ties between Jordan and Cyprus, adding that the association is committed to enhancing economic cooperation to achieve the greatest possible benefit.

Tabbaa said that Cyprus is characterised by its rich natural resources and strong industrial base and several investment opportunities, indicating that there are many promising sectors for building strategic partnerships across several sectors including the energy, industrial, agricultural, tourism and information technology sectors.

Papanastasiou voiced his country's commitment to enhancing cooperation in various fields with Jordan, seeking to resolve the challenges that have faced Cypriot businesspeople and investors in their country.

He discussed the possibilities of regional electrical interconnection between Jordan and Europe via Cyprus, stressing the need to activate joint agreements, especially those related to renewable energy.