Egypt, Cyprus discuss construction of natural gas pipeline next month

Egypt has agreed with Cyprus to begin talks on the construction of a pipeline to transport natural gas from Cypriot fields to Cairo next month.

Government sources told Daily News Egypt that the agreement includes the construction of gas lines on the Mediterranean coast, the first oh which will be dedicated to receive Cypriot gas from the Aphrodite and Cyprus 1 fields, in Damietta, Egypt, for liquefying gas.

The second line extends from Egypt across the Mediterranean Sea, reaching Cyprus and from there, extending to Crete, Greece, and from there continuing to northern Europe.

The sources added that Egypt is liquefying the gas from the Aphrodite field for re-export to Europe, receiving revenues from liquefied gas, and consuming part of it in the local market, diversifying gas resources.

Egypt and Cyprus have also signed a cooperation protocol for the electrical interconnection process across the Mediterranean seabed.

President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi was in Nicosia on Monday for a twoday visit to attend the fifth trilateral summit with his Cypriot and Greek counterparts.

Egypt and Cyprus signed a memorandum of understanding on Monday to begin transferring natural gas from Cyprus to Egypt.

Al-Sisi discussed with his Cypriot counterpart, Nicos Anastasiades, in August, ways to strengthen the tripartite cooperation mechanism between Egypt, Cyprus, and Greece, and the importance of pursuing trilateral cooperation projects and increasing mutual investments to benefit from opportunities available in each of the three countries.

Egypt had signed the agreement delineating the maritime border between Egypt and Cyprus in 2013, with the aim of developing oil and gas fields in economic zones of both countries.