Newly discovered gas deposits in the eastern Mediterranean can offer Europe the alternative sources of energy that it's searching for, Egypt's president said on November 20, 2017.
President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said that Europe can take advantage of the proximity of both Egypt and Cyprus to the continent in that energy search.
«These gas discoveries can contribute to the European continent's search for alternative energy sources, taking advantage of the position of Egypt and Cyprus,» El-Sissi said after talks with his Cypriot counterpart.
Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades said his country will promote closer relations between Egypt and the European Union.
«Our vision is that the discovery of hydrocarbon deposits in the wider region becomes a catalyst for wider cooperation in the eastern Mediterranean, contributing to regional prosperity,» Anastasiades said.
Egypt and Cyprus have in the last 3 years aimed at forging closer ties as part of a relationship built largely on energy cooperation.
Egyptian and Cypriot officials are set to begin talks in December 2017 on a potential pipeline that could bring gas from a Cypriot offshore field to Egypt for possible domestic use or export.
