The US welcomed a letter of intent signed Wednesday between a US firm Noble Energy, "Leviathan partners", and the National Electric Power Company of Jordan for the supply of natural gas from the Eastern Mediterranean to Jordan, as described by the US State Department in a statement.
"The United States continues to believe that energy can be an important tool to enhance regional stability and cooperation," said the statement Thursday. "This Letter of Intent marks the beginning of the second phase of the project, and represents an important step towards promoting peace and prosperity in the Middle East by encouraging collaboration to overcome energy challenges." The State Department asserted that once the deal is concluded it is expected to save Jordan around USD 1.5 billion a year and grant the country greater energy security.
The State Department did not mention Israel in its statement yet the American media reports the proposed agreement as a US-Israeli partnership in which the natural gas will travel from Israeli offshore gas fields to Jordan. The agreement will be concluded at the discretion of the Israeli and Jordanian government's approval of the deal. (end) ak.gta