Cairo and Damascus signed two memorandums of understanding on Monday aimed at cooperation in the supply of Egyptian gas for electricity generation and for meeting Syria’s needs for petroleum products.
The Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources and the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) said the signing took place during a visit to Cairo by a delegation from Syria’s Ministry of Oil, headed by Deputy Energy Minister for Petroleum Affairs Ghiyath Diab.
The two memorandums were signed on behalf of the Syrian side by Diab and the Egyptian side by Mohamed Al-Bagouri, supervisor of the Central Administration for Legal Affairs at the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources.
The first memorandum seeks to enhance cooperation in supplying gas to Syria, via Egypt, for the purpose of generating electricity, while the second focuses on meeting Syria’s requirements for petroleum products.
The Syrian delegation also met with Egyptian Petroleum and Mineral Resources Minister Karim Badawi. The talks addressed prospects for cooperation in rehabilitating Syria’s gas and oil infrastructure, as well as drawing on Egyptian expertise in the sector.
According to SANA, this cooperation comes as part of Syria’s broader drive to strengthen regional partnerships in the energy sector, with the aim of improving energy supply conditions and supporting development needs.
Syria is suffering from a very fragile electricity situation as a result of years of prolonged war and the policies of the ousted regime.