VOL. XL

No. 04

27-January-1997

EGYPT

Banbi Urges Israel To Resume Gas Talks Before It Is TooLate

Israel should negotiate a deal to import Egyptiangas before Egypt commits it elsewhere, Egyptian Oil Minister Hamdi al-Banbi was quoted assaying on 22 January. Speaking in an interview with the Cairo weekly al-Musawwar,Dr. Banbi said that Israel needed Egyptian natural gas because of its proximity andrelative security. He discounted reports that it would import gas from Qatar or Russia. Hesaid that...