Cyprus

Several academic and political figures from Greece, Cyprus and Egypt gathered in Cairo on Monday for a workshop on the emerging strategic cooperation between the Eastern Mediterranean countries, especially in the fields of energy and security. The workshop was held under the auspices of the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Bin Abdulaziz Alsaud Center for American Studies and Research (CASAR) at the American University in Cairo. The discussions reflected the growth of cooperation between the three nations in recent years, as evidenced by four tripartite summits involving the three nations’ leaders, the last being in Cairo in October 2016. Among the participants of Monday’s workshop was MP Nicholas Papadopoulos, president of the Democratic Party in Cyprus and candidate in the nation’s presidential elections scheduled for February 2018.He highlighted the potential for increased economic cooperation between the three nations, saying he hoped to conclude an Egypt-Cyprus commercial agreement, making Egypt an export hub for the Aphrodite gas field. The export of gas to Europe was of strategic importance to Egypt, he said.