Cyprus and Egypt to sign agreement for sub-sea European pipeline

Cyprus and Egypt will sign today an inter-state agreement concerning a sub-sea pipeline to carry Cypriot natural gas to Egypt. Cyprus’ Energy Minister Yiorgos Lakkotrypis and his Egyptian counterpart Tarek El Molla met on Tuesday in Nicosia with the President of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, to inform him about the conclusion of the deal.
 
Lakkotrypis said the agreement was crucial for the efforts of both countries to channel natural gas from the “Aphrodite” reservoir, off Cyprus’ coast, towards Egypt. The agreement sets the framework for cooperation between the two countries, the Minister went on, while highlighting that it is the first if its kind in the region, and is in line with EU standards.

The Minister also said that a representative of the European Commission will attend Wednesday’s signing ceremony, adding that this shows the importance the EU attaches to the project. This pipeline is a European pipeline, the Minister went on. He added that gas will be carried to Egypt once commercial agreements advance and then it will reach European markets in LNG form. The Cypriot Minister of Energy also noted that this will help Europe strengthen its energy security.
 
Replying to a question, Lakkotrypis said the agreement concerns at this stage Cyprus and Egypt but hailed it as a model for regional cooperation.

As regards talks for a commercial agreement, the Minister said that the government is currently preparing its positions before asking the consortium to start comprehensive talks. This agreement is the first of its kind and it paves the way for the conclusion of the project, allowing private investors to negotiate a commercial agreement, Tarek El Molla added.

He said finally that the agreement provides that Cyprus’ natural gas will be both re-exported, as well as used for domestic consumption. The construction of the pipeline depends on how fast commercial agreements advance with the investors, the Egyptian Minister concluded.

#Cyprus #Egypt IGA, is a strategic objective that will benefit all #EU countries. We are looking toward the establisment of a dedicated corridor that will consist of different infrastructures to supply gas to the EU from the Eastern Mediterranean. pic.twitter.com/9qLNnhkpbc

— Nicos Anastasiades (@AnastasiadesCY) 18 September 2018