Egypt, Greece, Cyprus strengthen energy cooperation

Al-Sisi says tripartite electrical agreement, preliminary step towards connecting with rest of Europe

Egypt, Greece, and Cyprus further strengthened energy cooperation with the signing of two memoranda of cooperation on the interconnection for the transmission of electric power, in Athens, on Tuesday. President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi asserted Egypt's interest in strengthening energy cooperation with Cyprus and Greece, whether with renewable and non-renewable energy sources.
Al-Sisi's remarks came during a joint conference on the sidelines of the ninth Tripartite Summit between Egypt, Cyprus and Greece.
The Egyptian president said that this agreement is a preliminary step that brings the three countries closer to their common goal which is achieving an electrical connection with the rest of the European continent.
He asserted the need to agree on a mechanism to establish a marine pipeline to transport natural gas from the Cypriot Aphrodite gas field to the Egyptian liquefaction plants in Damietta and Idku. Afterwards, the liquefied natural gas (LNG) will be transferred from Egypt to Greece, and later to many European countries.
Al-Sisi added that this agreement will solidify the position of the East Mediterranean Gas Forum as a reliable entity. It will also maximise the benefit of member states and peoples of the region from natural gas reserves and hydrocarbon resources in the Mediterranean.
Meanwhile, the Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, said that the trilateral cooperation established by Greece, Cyprus, Egypt "is a beacon of stability" in the Eastern Mediterranean on issues ranging from energy and tourism to the protection of the environment and high technology, trade and shipping.
He added that Egypt plays a pivotal role in the transmission and distribution of energy sources, stressing that the north African nation is capable of being a major energy supplier.
"Energy is now becoming a bridge between Egypt and Europe," Mitsotakis said.
The Greek Prime Minister continued by saying that the three countries share a common position on regional issues, adding "we must praise Egypt's position in dealing with the issue of illegal immigration."
The Greek Prime Minister added that the three countries agreed on the need to hold the Libyan elections in December, as a step to bring stability.
The Cypriot President, Nicos Anastasiades, said that an agreement has been reached with Egypt and Greece in addressing common challenges and combating terrorism.
"The three countries stressed the importance of dialogue to resolve the disputes in the region," asserted Anastasiades.
The Egyptian Presidency Spokesperson Bassam Rady said that "Athens Summit aims to build upon what was achieved in the past eight summits and to follow up on the projects being implemented within the tripartite cooperation mechanism."
He explained that the summit reinforces and deepens political consultation over ways of facing joint challenges in the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean region.
Rady added that the summit also reflected a mutual commitment to establish fruitful projects in various economic, cultural, security and military sectors. It also aims to address urgent challenges and crises such as forest fires, the health and economic repercussions of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The three leaders also discussed the joint cooperation projects in the sectors of energy, gas, electricity, tourism, transport, and agriculture, emphasising their goals to strengthen cooperation in several vital sectors such as the environment and confronting climate change.