Netanyahu proposes infrastructure “corridor” linking Asia with Europe

The Israeli prime minister raised today the idea of ​​building infrastructure projects, such as a fiber optic cable linking the countries of Asia and the Arabian Peninsula with Europe through Israel and Cyprus.

Benjamin Netanyahu he said he is “pretty sure” that this corridor is feasible.

He added that such projects could happen if Israel normalizes relations with other countries in the region. The 2020 Abraham Accords, negotiated by the United States, normalized relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, and the government of the president Joe Biden tries to establish official ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

“One example—and the most obvious—is a fiber optic connection. That is the shortest route. It is the safest route. It is the cheapest route”Netanyahu said after talking with the Cypriot president Nikos Christodoulides.

Netanyahu indicated that he and Christodoulides are seeking to move forward with plans for a 2,000-megawatt undersea power cable known as the EurAsia Interconnector, which connects Israel with Cyprus and Greece and is intended to act as a backup power supply for both Israel and Cyprus. .

Separately, Netanyahu said his government fully supports the European decision to create a regional firefighting center in Cyprus, from which planes and other technology could be sent to help fight the flames in neighboring countries.

Talks between Christodoulides and Netanyahu precede a trilateral meeting with the Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis scheduled for Monday.

Since 2016, these kinds of meetings between the leaders of the three countries have become a staple of what they said are blossoming ties that Netanyahu described as “a deep friendship, both personal and between our nations”.

With information from AP