Several recommendations were adopted at a meeting of electricity ministers of the seven member states of a regional power linkage project on earlier this week, including the approval of Palestine s accession to the project in principle, reported Egypt's State Information Service. The seven countries included in the project are Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya and Turkey. Egyptian Minister of Electricity and Energy Hassan Younis stressed the depth of cooperation between the seven electricity linkage countries, expressing their leaders keenness on backing the accomplishment of the electrical linkage grids between the seven countries, SIS reported. At the eleventh meeting of member states of the seven-way electrical linkage project on Tuesday, the electricity ministers reviewed the current status of the power linkage project. Initial operational tests on power linkage between Libya and Tunisia were currently being carried out, noted Younis, adding that the line would be operated in the second half of the current year. As for the Syrian-Lebanese power linkage, Younis was reported to have said that the electrical linkage grid was finalized and would be operated by the end of 2007. He added that the power linkage grid between Syria and Turkey had already been completed and would be operated shortly after getting the approval of a coordinating committee on power grids among European countries As for the electrical linkage between Iraq and Syria, Younis said work is currently under way and is expected to be completed it in 2008. During the meeting, the electricity ministers also agreed that the 12th ministerial meeting of the seven-way electrical linkage project would be held in Libya in November.
