Cyprus and Egypt signed a Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership on Friday on the sidelines of the Informal European Council in Nicosia, formalising what both sides described as a relationship already strategic in practice and elevating it to a structured, institutionally anchored framework.
The declaration was signed by President Nikos Christodoulides and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi and covers six core pillars: political relations, security and defence, energy, trade and investment, cultural and educational cooperation, and climate and water issues.
Energy at the Core
Energy remains the most advanced pillar of the bilateral relationship. The declaration reaffirms existing agreements for the development of Cyprus's offshore gas fields, including Kronos and Aphrodite, using Egyptian liquefaction infrastructure for re-export to international markets. Both countries committed to expanding the partnership to include renewable energy and mining cooperation, and restated their shared vision of positioning the Eastern Mediterranean as an energy hub contributing to European energy security.
Defence and Security
On defence, the two countries agreed to establish a Joint Military Committee to coordinate military cooperation and shared defence challenges, deepen ties between their armed forces and military academies, and expand relations between their defence industries. They also committed to continuing joint military exercises and to cooperation on maritime security, counter-terrorism and the prevention of illicit trafficking.
A notable inclusion is the Cyprus Regional Aerial Firefighting Station, described in the declaration as one of the first deliverables of the new Pact for the Mediterranean, building on Egypt's deployment of aerial assistance to Cyprus during wildfires in 2024 and 2025.
Trade and Connectivity
The two sides agreed to establish a Cyprus-Egypt Business Council and to hold a Cyprus-Egypt Business Forum on the sidelines of their next Government-to-Government Summit in Nicosia. The declaration acknowledges Egypt's strategic positioning via the Suez Canal as a gateway to Africa, and Cyprus's role as the nearest entry point to the EU single market, framing closer economic cooperation as mutually reinforcing.
Political Framework
The annual Government-to-Government Summit, inaugurated in 2021, will remain the primary steering forum for the partnership, held alternately in Nicosia and Cairo at heads of state level. The declaration also provides for regular ministerial contacts, parliamentary exchanges and coordination within international organisations.
Both countries reaffirmed support for a Cyprus settlement in line with UN Security Council resolutions, their commitment to international law including UNCLOS, and their rejection of the unlawful use of force.