US Energy Secretary Rick Perry visited Israel Monday and toured Israeli energy facilities in Ashdod.
Perry also met with Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz to sign a mutual energy cooperation agreement between the US and Israel, the US embassy in Israel stated.
"Secretary Perry and Minister Steinitz committed to further advancing the high level of strategic cooperation between the United States and Israel in energy," the US embassy said in a statement. "Both sides discussed extensive and increasing energy partnership in cybersecurity in energy, enhancing investment in gas projects in Eastern Mediterranean and developing US-Israel Energy Center,"
"Both senior officials also expressed their commitment to "continuing the positive energy partnership between two countries," the embassy added.
The secretary held a press briefing at the King David Hotel following his tours of Israeli energy facilities in Ashdod.
During the meeting, Secretary Perry congratulate Prime Minister Netanyahu on becoming the longest-serving prime minister in Israel's history.
He said that Netanyahu's "leadership and vision has changed the course of history. It has made Israel the country that it is today."
"The bilateral relationship between the United States and Israel is built on a foundation of strong economic and security cooperation," he said.
"Over the last decade, both Israel and the United States have undergone a massive transition in our energy supply with the discovery and the production of cleaner burning natural gas. Earlier today, I visited the Nobel facility in Ahsdod, a great example of US technology, a US company working in Israel. It's my hope that this is just the first chapter of a very long story of further American investment in Israel's energy sector."
Secretary Perry will meet Prime Minister Netanyahu tomorrow.
