_:Negotiations between Cyprus and Israel concerning the natural gas reservoir shared by the Cypriot "Aphrodite" field and the Israeli "Ishai" field are ongoing in the first half of October,

According to Cyprus News Agency, Cypriot Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry, Michael Damianos, stated that meetings are planned within this period with the aim of finalizing the agreement before the end of the month.

The discussions are being conducted at a technical level, involving technocrats and legal advisors from both countries, as well as the managing companies of the two reservoirs.

The issue arises from the fact that the natural gas reservoir of Aphrodite, situated in Block 12 of the Cypriot Exclusive Economic Zone, geologically overlaps with Ishai in the Israeli Exclusive Economic Zone. The American company Chevron operates the Aphrodite reservoir.