Nicosia: President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, and the Lebanese Minister of Energy, Joseph Saadi, met on Monday at the Presidential Palace to discuss the deepening of bilateral energy cooperation between Cyprus and Lebanon. The meeting was also attended by Cyprus’ Minister of Energy, George Papanastasiou.
According to Cyprus News Agency, the discussions focused on cooperation in electricity production, the delimitation of maritime borders, and the energy potential of the Eastern Mediterranean. President Christodoulides highlighted the close relations between the two countries, noting the importance of tangible developments in EU-Lebanon relations. He emphasized the potential for an electricity interconnection project, seeking EU political and financial support.
The Lebanese Minister expressed interest in electrical interconnection and boosting energy cooperation. He highlighted Lebanon’s need to increase electricity provision economically and securely, emphasizing the importance of attracting private sector investment in both conventional and renewable energy sources.
Minister Saadi mentioned the establishment of working technical groups to progress the cooperation initiative. He also confirmed that the recent maritime border agreement, approved by the Lebanese Council of Ministers, is set to be signed by the Lebanese President, finalizing this critical chapter.
Minister Papanastasiou remarked on the positive bilateral developments, reiterating President Christodoulides’ early visit to Lebanon post-President Aoun’s election. He noted Lebanon’s challenges with electricity production and the steps taken to attract investment to modernize its grid, expressing Cyprus’ willingness to share its know-how.
Discussions also touched on the exclusive economic zone’s significance, with Papanastasiou mentioning potential joint exploitation agreements. He clarified the procedural steps for the demarcation agreement and the possibility of presidential decrees facilitating its ratification.
Regarding the Eastern Mediterranean’s energy potential, Papanastasiou explained the interest in the region’s natural gas reserves. He mentioned the possibility of connecting Israel’s gas network with Cyprus, separate from the EastMed pipeline project, due to the area’s strategic energy significance.