A Strategic Framework Agreement for the development of joint initiatives in the fields of exploration, production and transportation of hydrocarbons was signed, on 27/7/2010, by Eng. Sameh Fahmi, Minister of Petroleum, and ENI’s CEO Paolo Scaroni, in the Italian city, Milan. The Minister of Petroleum pointed out that, this strategic framework agreement of cooperation, comes within the context of carrying out the cooperation initiative, signed during the Italian-Egyptian Summit, which took place in May 2009, Sharm el-Sheikh, and was headed by President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak as well as the Italian Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, to promote cooperation between the two countries in the field of development. The Strategic Framework Agreement provides for a joint cooperation initiative in the Mediterranean region, outside the Egyptian borders throughout a partnership between the Egyptian Petroleum Sector & the Italian Corporation Eni, to mutually exchange of information among the parties and joint studies to pursue common projects in oil & gas domains. The Agreement also provides the participation of the Petroleum Sector in Eni's upstream activities in the development of petroleum concession areas in Iraq and Gabon. Moreover, the cooperation agreement includes allowing the opportunity for Eni, to use the gas transportation capacity in the Arab Gas Pipeline system, in coordination with the other countries involved in the Pipeline and in accordance with the agreed upon measures, where Egypt presently exports gas to Jordan, Syria and Lebanon and which may be expanded and interconnected to other gas transport systems in the coming period to transport natural gas, particularly from Iraq. Given that, the Arab Gas Pipeline is a strategic line and one of the most significant regional pipelines along with allowing the necessary flexibility to exchange as well as transfer quantities of natural gas, currently and in the future.