Monday, 25 May 2026
Egypt, Cyprus hold talks in Cairo to coordinate on Gaza, energy
Egypt's Foreign Minister Dr. Badr Abdel Aati received his Cypriot counterpart Constantinos Kombos in Cairo on Sunday, January 18, 2026, for bilateral political consultations aimed at strengthening ties between the two friendly nations and exchanging views on shared regional issues.
According to a statement from the Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Ambassador Tamim Khalaf, Minister Abdel Aati highlighted the deep historical bonds between Egypt and Cyprus. He emphasized the need to capitalize on the positive momentum generated by the recent Egyptian-Cypriot summit by sustaining a high pace of mutual visits, events, and activities across all levels.
The minister stressed the importance of fully activating and implementing all recently signed agreements and memoranda of understanding, including the one on recruiting Egyptian labor to Cyprus.
Abdel Aati also called for building on the outcomes of the economic forum held on the sidelines of the recent trilateral and bilateral summits in Cairo last January. The goal is to boost economic, trade, and investment relations in various sectors. He particularly underscored cooperation in the energy sector in the Eastern Mediterranean, expressing Egypt's interest in continuing coordination and linking Cypriot gas fields to Egyptian infrastructure. This would enhance energy security for both countries and demonstrate the benefits of their partnership.
The Egyptian minister expressed appreciation for Cyprus's support for Egypt within the European Union. He looked forward to intensified cooperation and coordination during Cyprus's presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2026. He welcomed constructive initiatives to strengthen Egypt-EU ties, noting the upgrade to a strategic and comprehensive partnership and the first Egypt-EU summit held in Brussels in October last year.
The talks included an exchange of views on several regional issues, with a primary focus on developments in the Gaza Strip. Abdel Aati briefed his Cypriot counterpart on upcoming steps following the transition to the second phase of U.S. President Trump's plan for Gaza. He stressed the importance of implementing all commitments in this phase, Egypt's support for the Palestinian technocratic committee, and the need to deploy an international stabilization force to monitor the ceasefire. He also highlighted Egypt's efforts to train Palestinian police personnel and its ongoing work to facilitate humanitarian aid entry into Gaza, while pushing for early recovery and reconstruction.
The two ministers also discussed developments in Syria, Sudan, and Somalia, agreeing on the necessity of combined regional and international efforts to preserve the unity, territorial integrity, and sovereignty of states.
At the conclusion of the consultations, both sides agreed to maintain close coordination and intensify efforts to reduce escalation and tensions in the region, supporting security and stability—including in the Eastern Mediterranean.