Nicosia: The Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Karim Badawi, is visiting Cyprus for two days to engage in discussions with key Cypriot officials. On Thursday, Badawi is scheduled to meet with the President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, alongside Cyprus’ Energy Minister, George Papanastasiou. The agenda includes discussions on the development progress of the “Kronos” and “Aphrodite” fields.
According to Cyprus News Agency, following the presidential meeting, Badawi, Papanastasiou, and their technical teams will sit down with representatives from ENI and TotalEnergies. This meeting aims to provide a briefing on the technical and commercial consultations related to the “Kronos” development. Additionally, Papanastasiou will hold a separate meeting with senior executives of TotalEnergies, including Julien Pouget, the Senior Vice President for the Middle East and North Africa, and Jean Jeylet, the Vice President for North Africa, focusing on the company’s research activities in Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Badawi’s visit, which occurs on July 23 and 24, comes at the invitation of Cyprus’ Minister of Energy. The primary focus is to monitor the development progress in block 6 of the Cypriot EEZ. The visit is part of an agreed framework for cooperation between the Egyptian and Cypriot Ministries, aiming for close monitoring of the deposits development project in block 6, following the Host Government Agreement (HGA) signed in Egypt on February 17, 2025.
Accompanying Badawi is a delegation from the Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum and the Egyptian Natural Gas Authority (EGAS), underscoring the significance of this bilateral engagement.