On the sidelines of the 10th Ministerial Meeting of the East Mediterranean Gas Forum EMGF2026 in Washington, D.C., Eng. Karim Badawi , Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, held extensive talks with H.E Mr. Michael Damianos , Cyprus’s Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry, as part of the distinguished strategic relationship between  Egypt and Cyprus.

The minister asserted that the Egyptian-Cypriot partnership represents a successful model of regional cooperation based on mutual interests as well as the optimal utilization of existing infrastructure. He praised the high level of coordination and collaboration between both countries as founding members of EMGF.

He also stressed the significance of leveraging the achievements of recent years and accelerating the implementation of joint projects in line with the Forum’s long-term strategic vision and objectives. Both ministers also reviewed the latest developments in the Cyprus Aphrodite gas field project in recent months, as well as the progress achieved in the plans for developing the Cyprus Cronos gas field.

Eng. Karim Badawi reaffirmed Egypt’s full support for accelerating the field’s development and for receiving Cypriot gas through Egypt’s infrastructure for processing, liquefaction, and re-export to global markets. He affirmed that Egypt’s advanced energy infrastructure, including the LNG plants in Idku and Damietta, provides the most effective commercial and economic solution for maximizing the added value of Cyprus’s gas resources and enhancing regional energy security, further strengthening Egypt’s status as a regional hub for trading and exchanging energy.