Egypt and Qatar strengthen energy ties amid growing gas deficit

Faced with a growing energy crisis, Egypt is stepping up its efforts to secure natural gas supplies through an ambitious cooperation plan with Qatar. The North African country has announced negotiations to finalise a long-term liquefied natural gas (LNG) import agreement with QatarEnergy, one of the world's largest companies in the sector, with the aim of meeting growing domestic demand, mitigating power cuts and easing pressure on the state budget.

The announcement came after a meeting in Doha between Egyptian Oil Minister Karim Badawi and his Qatari counterpart, Saeed Al-Kaabi. The two discussed not only a supply agreement but also the possibility of deepening cooperation in exploration and development of fields, particularly in the eastern Mediterranean. The talks are taking place against a backdrop of a sharp drop in domestic gas production, which has forced Egypt to resume fossil fuel imports after years of self-sufficiency.