An Israeli delegation from the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure is expected to visit Cyprus to advance talks aimed at resolving the long-running Aphrodite–Ishai natural gas dispute, according to an announcement by the Israeli government.
As reported by the Israeli financial daily Globes, the delegation will include senior officials from the ministries of Energy, Finance and Justice. The discussions are expected to focus on finalising an intergovernmental agreement concerning the part of the Aphrodite gas reservoir that is believed to extend into Israel’s Exclusive Economic Zone.
Speaking to Globes, Israel’s Energy and Infrastructure Minister Eli Cohen described natural gas as a strategic asset for Israel, stressing that the government would continue to promote offshore gas development to strengthen production capacity, exports and the wider economy.
Framework
The proposed intergovernmental agreement is expected to establish a mechanism for resolving the dispute by determining how much of the Aphrodite reservoir extends into Israeli waters and the level of compensation due to the Ishai licence holders. This assessment would be carried out by independent experts, based on an agreed methodology, with their decision binding on both states as well as the commercial partners involved.
According to reporting by Politis, Cyprus had initially been aiming to finalise and sign the agreement in November, after years of stalled negotiations. While significant progress was achieved over the past year and a half, the November timeline was not met, primarily due to pending issues that required further political handling. Attention has now shifted to February, although it remains unclear whether the two sides will ultimately reach an agreement by then.