Jordan denies plans to import Israeli gas
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Jordan’s sole potash producer on Wednesday denied that the company was in talks with Israeli firms on importing natural gas.
Chairman of the Arab Potash Company (APC) Jamal Sarayreh said in a statement to The Jordan Times that the company has not made any contact with Israeli potash company or any firm in Tel Aviv to import natural gas in a bid to cut production costs.
Sarayreh noted, however, that the company’s Canadian strategic partner is currently looking to import natural gas from “any country” to reduce production costs, estimated at $240 per tonne, while the cost to produce potash in Russia or Belarus is around $83 per tonne.
The APC chief said that the firm had talks with Egypt’s Al Fajr gas company some four years ago but due to gas shortages in Egypt, the negotiations reached a dead end.
The Canadian partner is currently discussing the gas issue with an American company, Sarayreh said, indicating that both sides have not reached an agreement in terms of prices, quantities or delivery.
Sarayreh’s remarks contradict a statement issued by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources two days ago, which said that contacts are currently under way between APC and its counterpart in Israel, through a US company, on the possibility of importing natural gas produced in the Dead Sea area.
The ministry said the fuel would be inexpensive and clean and would be used by APC factories at the Dead Sea.
Reports about APC’s alleged intentions to import gas from Israel have angered the Islamist-dominated professional associations and anti-normalisation groups, which reject trade ties with Tel Aviv.
President of Professional Associations Council Mahmoud Abu Ghanimeh sent a letter to Sarayreh urging him to halt any talks that might be under way with Israeli firms.
In his letter, a copy of which was e-mailed to The Jordan Times, Abu Ghanimeh said that cooperating with Israeli firms would contribute to opening new opportunities for the “Zionist Entity”, which is committing crimes against Palestinians.
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This is truly pathetic. A Moslem country, Egypt, has violated its natural gas supply agreements with Jordan. Jordan is suffering thereby. Israel, as no one disputes, would be a reliable and inexpensive supplier. And yet, the Jordanians do not want to improve their situation. They do not want the gas. They want to suffer. Well the next time Jordan asks for aid from the United States or UN or EU (which all amount to the same parties funding the money - the US and the EU), I think the answer should be no. If Jordan does not want to take easy steps to improve its economy, to why should the West care about Jordan.