During a press conference in Moscow, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu invited Russian companies to come to Israel and develop the country's offshore Mediterranean gas fields, Russian new agency RT reports. Netanyahu said, "Our doors are open to every company in every country that has major experience in developing gas fields, including of course Russia."
He added that there are no legal obstacles preventing Russian companies from operating in Israel.
In his meetings with Russian President Valdimir Putin, Netanyahu discussed possible cooperation on developing Israel's gas fields as well as the situation in Syria and Israel's relations with the Palestinians.
During the press conference with Netanyahu, Putin was asked about Russia's gas agreements with Poland that are due to expire in 2022. He replied that Russia's national gas company Gazprom is looking for other partners in Europe as an alternative source to Poland for buying gas. He said jokingly that perhaps Israel could buy gas from Russia and sell it back to Poland.
There were rumors when Netanyahu met Putin last October that Israel had plans to retract the decision it made in 2012 to prevent Gazprom from becoming a partner in the Leviathan field. Gazprom had wanted to set up a subsidiary in June 2012 that would target the development of Israel's gas fields.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on June 8, 2016
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