NICOSIA, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- The European Union and Mediterranean countries agreed on Monday to enhance cooperation and promote sustainable development in energy field.

    At the 5th Euro-Mediterranean Energy Ministerial Conference held in southern Cypriot city of Limassol, European Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs launched the new energy partnership with three main priorities.

    The 2008-2013 Priority Action Plan outlines the priorities as the improvement of the harmonization and the integration of the energy markets in the Euro-Mediterranean region, the promotion of sustainable development in the energy sector and the development of initiatives in fields of common interest as infrastructure, investments, research and development.

    "We are here today to take stock of the progress achieved, and agree on the future orientations and priorities for our cooperation, taking into account latest developments in the global energy markets," Piebalgs told the meeting.

    "Today's Euromed Energy Ministerial Conference will, with no doubt, have a decisive impact on Euro-Mediterranean cooperation in the energy field," he added.

    Portuguese Minister of Economy and Innovation Manuel Pinho, whose country is holding the six-month rotating EU (European Union)Presidency, said that the EU will use various means to promote Euro-Mediterranean energy cooperation.

    According to a press release, the EU will devote more than 3.2 billion Euros for Euromed cooperation for the next four years. A good share of this could be channeled to the priorities identified in the Action Plan.

    Piebalgs expressed his support for the "Solar for Peace" project recently elaborated jointly by Israel and the Palestinian Authority who presented it at the conference.

    It is proposed that the Palestinian Authority and Israel establish a program of collaboration in the area of solar energy, a free resource widely available in the area and possessing considerable environmental advantages.