Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi met with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides to review the latest developments in the natural gas interconnection projects between the two nations to bolster regional energy security, according to a statement by the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources (MoPMR).
In February, Egypt and Cyprus signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to transport gas from the Cypriot Cronos field, which holds 3.1 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of proven gas reserves, to be processed at Egypt’s Zohr field facilities, then liquefied at the Damietta LNG plant for export to European markets. Italy’s Eni, which operates Zohr, also operates Cronos in partnership with the French TotalEnergies.
The MoU also involved the Aphrodite gas field, another significant gas discovery in Cyprus, operated by US Chevron, which is also planned to send its gas to Egypt for processing and export.
In October, Egypt signed with Cyprus two commercial agreements related to the energy interconnection plans, the first is a tariff agreement, while the second is a handling, processing, and transportation agreement.
Cyprus, which assumed the Presidency of the Council of the European Union on January 1, 2026, aims to bring the EU closer to Egypt, describing the country as a “strategic partner and pillar of stability,” according to the Cyprus Mail. Badawi’s meeting with Christodoulides came on the sidelines of his visit to Nicosia, representing President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi at the ceremony marking Cyprus’s assumption of the Presidency of the European Union.
Badawi expressed Egypt’s appreciation for the support provided by Cyprus to Egypt on this front, stressing Egypt’s aspiration to continue this coordination. He also extended an invitation to the President of Cyprus to attend the opening ceremony of the Egypt Energy Show (EGYPES) in April 2026.
On the sidelines of the visit, an Egyptian delegation met with officials from the Cypriot Ministry of Energy, Commerce, and Industry to coordinate the technical implementation of the Egyptian-Cypriot projects.
