Cyprus's Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry, Michael Damianos, said on Thursday that US President Donald Trump's decision to repost his recent interview on Eastern Mediterranean energy issues "means a great deal." Damianos was responding to reporters' questions as he arrived at the headquarters of the Electricity Authority of Cyprus for an event.
Asked to comment on Trump having shared a link to his interview with Breitbart News, Damianos said the repost carried weight given ongoing discussions within the 3+1 framework linking Cyprus, Greece, Israel and the United States, covering the development of hydrocarbon resources in Cyprus's exclusive economic zone, electricity interconnections and regional energy security. He said Cyprus had received assurances, though not commitments, to proceed with its energy programme, both in terms of developing its own resources and strengthening energy security more broadly.
"We must move forward with this energy programme," Damianos said, noting that Cyprus shares this understanding with regional partners including Egypt, and now has the backing of the United States, expressed by its head of state.
Asked separately about the commercial plans for Cyprus's offshore gas fields, Damianos said natural gas from the Aphrodite and Cronos fields would be exported to Egypt, in line with the proposal put forward by the companies developing the fields, which he said makes the projects commercially viable. He said the exact revenues Cyprus would receive remain unclear at this stage, since they will depend on how much gas is ultimately produced and on prices over the course of agreements spanning ten to fifteen years, adding that the sums involved would nonetheless be significant for the Republic of Cyprus.
Trump reposted Damianos's interview with Breitbart News on his Truth Social account on 22 July. In the interview, Damianos described Trump's personal involvement in Eastern Mediterranean energy affairs as "vital."
Source: CNA
