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Ammon News - AMMAN (Petra) The Arab Spring has had negative repercussions on the energy sector in Jordan, said Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Malik Kabariti.

Speaking at the International Conference for Energy Security in the Middle East, Kabariti pointed out that Egyptian gas supplies to the Kingdom have dropped dramatically since 2011 because the gas pipeline was subject to sabotage in Sinai.

The Arab Spring, he added, may raise concerns from investors, triggering a change in their investment plans in the energy sector and limiting the regional countries' ability to meet the future growth in demand.

Energy security is linked to many interconnected issues and has strategic, political, and security dimensions, Kabariti stated, noting that addressing these dimensions would require concerted efforts and cooperation from the regional countries.

The two-day conference is being held in cooperation with the Security Studies Center, the Higher Council for Science and Technology, Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Amman (KAS Amman), the U.S.–Korea Institute, and the Dubai-based International Consultative Group.

Director of the Security Studies Center and member of the organizing committee Ayman Khalil said the conference would discuss all possible solutions to address the energy issues, such as nuclear energy, renewable energy, and alternative energy. The conference, he added, also aimed to benefit from the participants' expertise in this regard.

Other speakers highlighted the challenges facing the region with regard to energy security, stressing the need to address them.