Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and a Greek ministerial delegation, headed by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, have arrived in Cairo to take part in a tripartite summit with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi on mutual cooperation between the three nations, The National Herald reported.

The summit agenda includes discussing the development of maritime transport networks between the three east Mediterranean countries, bolstering tourism as well as exploring and transporting Egypt’s and Cyprus’ offshore natural gas, according to Ahram online.

Cyprus and Egypt has signed an agreement late August to start gas supplies via an undersea pipeline. The deal aimed to set the political framework for additional commercial agreements that would determine of how, where, and when the gas will reach Egypt. Furthermore, Cyprus Natural Hydrocarbons Company’s CEO, Charles Ellinas, said: “I see these trilateral meetings very useful politically.

In the longer term I hope these will lead to wider cooperation in the East Med.” However, he added that any gas developments in the region are driven by international companies and will happen if the risks are low, finance is forthcoming and if they make sense commercially, informed New Europe.

The meeting will be the fourth such trilateral summit involving leaders of the three countries.

 The first was held in Cairo in November 2014, the second in Nicosia in April 2015, and the third in Athens in December 2015.