Palestine vetoes UAE membership to East Med Gas Forum

Palestine has vetoed the United Arab Emirates (UAE)’s membership to the East Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF), Anadolu reported a Palestinian official saying yesterday.

“Palestine, a founding member of the forum, used the veto against the UAE request to join the EMGF,” the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Anadolu Agency.

The founding states of the EMGF are Egypt, Palestine, Jordan, Greece, Italy, Israel and the Greek Cypriot administration of Southern Cyprus (GCASC).

On Tuesday, Egypt’s Ministry of Petroleum said the EMGF approved France’s request to join the forum as a member and the US as an observer.

READ: Egypt, Greece discuss energy cooperation in eastern Mediterranean 

The ministry, however, made no mention of the Palestinian veto of the UAE’s request for membership. The Emirates did not issue a comment on the matter.

On 24 September, Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Stienitz said his team had proposed the UAE’s inclusion in the gas forum.

Israel and the UAE have signed several energy agreements following a US-sponsored agreement to normalise relations.