Minister of Foreign Affairs Yair Lapid hosted German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck in Jerusalem for discussion on a wide range of topics.
By Erin Viner
Talks between the two diplomats placed “an emphasis on regional projects between Israel and its partners in the Middle East, including in the framework of the process following the Negev Summit,” said Minister Lapid on Twitter. Lapid convened the landmark Arab-Israeli conference in March, attended by his counterparts from the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, Egypt and the United States.
“The governments of Israel and Germany have a shared responsibility for developing and promoting the special relations between the countries,” he added, writing that, “the visit of Germany’s Vice Chancellor Habeck represents the continuity of our ties and their growth into new plains.”
A statement TV7 obtained from the Israeli Foreign Ministry said that the two also discussed the importance of green energy and its impacts on the future
“I was happy to discuss with the Vice Chancellor opportunities for regional cooperation in different fields, particularly in energy,” commented Foreign Minister Lapid.
Energy was also on the agenda for later talks Habeck, who also serves as Germany’s Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate action, held with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
“It was a very good meeting,” Prime Minister Bennett said, adding, “We discussed ways of strengthening the Israel-Germany relations, with an emphasis on collaborations in the fields of energy, climate, and economy.”
Germany, which operates Europe’s largest economy, is in search of alternative energy supplies due to shortages and Western sanctions over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Israel’s vast offshore Leviathan natural gas reservoir, which produces at least produces 12 billion cubic meters (bcm) annually, could serve as a viable option to help meet Europe’s current import of 155 bcm from Russia.
The German Vice Chancellor also visited the Yad Vashem World Holocaust Remembrance Center, where he met with the memorial’s Chairman Dani Dayan.
Habeck’s four-day regional mission includes stops in the West Bank and Jordan. While in the Hashemite Kingdom he is slated to co-Chair a conference on climate and energy due to be attended by representatives from Arab, African and European delegations.