Egypt-Cyprus relations at their highest ebb

Relations between Cairo and Nicosia are at their best and on an upward trajectory, said Egypt’s Ambassador Amr Hamza.

Elaborating on ties between the two countries, the Ambassador told CNA: “The strength of our relationship is not just in terms of pursuing different avenues of bilateral cooperation, but equally in terms of the level of consultation and coordination we have on different regional issues.

“I think there is no better way to characterize the nature of our relations than as strategic, there is no better term to define the scope of consultations and common views that we have as than eye-to-eye and maybe no better way to predict and project the future of our relations than promising and full of potential.”

Asked about the particular role energy plays, Hamza said it’s very important, not just regionally or bilaterally between Egypt and Cyprus, but worldwide.

“Energy issues have taken centre stage at this particular time, and we consider cooperation with Cyprus in the energy sector of strategic nature.

“Our partnership is multi-faceted in different aspects, whether in terms of the sectors it covers, electricity and gas, or the tracks we pursue.

“We have bilateral projects with Cyprus, both on natural gas and electricity; we also have trilateral projects with the cooperation of Greece and multilateral, regional projects, such as the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum.

Hamza said the forum not only consults on areas relating to gas but also serves as a model for cooperating regionally and defining the future aspects of how regional engagement should be carried out.