"The Cyprus Gateway: Natural Gas to Power and Liquefaction" workshop was described as a "remarkable success" by the Minister of Energy, Commerce, and Industry, George Papastasiou, in an interview with Cyprus News Agency. He noted that representatives of foreign companies praised the high quality level of presentations delivered by the Cyprus Hydrocarbons Company (CHC) and the Ministry of Energy.

Minister Papastasiou further mentioned that on Wednesday, the company New Med, one of the partners in the "Aphrodite" field which is listed on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, is expected to officially announce the delivery of the modified development and production plan for "Aphrodite." The government already has a preliminary version of the plan, but an official announcement is anticipated. According to the Minister, the study of the plan for review or acceptance by the Republic of Cyprus has already begun.

Regarding the two-day workshop organized by the Ministry of Energy, Commerce, and Industry and the CHC, Mr. Papastasiou stated that "they told us that they have never seen such content presentations from a state entity with such depth of knowledge." He added that “this demonstrates that our expertise at the Cyprus Hydrocarbons Company, in this particular case, and at the Ministry of Energy is of a high standard.”

According to information from CNA, there is immediate interest in constructing a pipeline connecting Israel to Cyprus, with available gas to be sent to Cyprus for immediate use in conventional power generation. For this reason, the upcoming visit of the Minister of Energy, Commerce, and Industry to Israel is considered significant, especially after the recent statement by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressing interest in creating an alternative export route via Cyprus.

Moreover, the same sources reported that based on this position, the pipeline, since it needs to accommodate both cases, namely power generation in Cyprus and liquefaction for export purposes, must be designed accordingly. In order to proceed with the liquefaction stage, it is necessary to have information on the quantities Israel has in mind. Hence, the visit of the Cypriot Minister to Israel on June 14-15 is considered highly important to discuss this matter and determine the pipeline's size.

Furthermore, there is an expectation that a preliminary intergovernmental agreement will be reached, initially for the natural gas pipeline and secondly for the electrical interconnection via cable between the two countries. The signing of such an agreement is not expected immediately, but at least there will be discussions to accurately determine the realistic quantities that Israel could commit to sending to Cyprus.

The island places significant importance on the natural gas resources in the East Mediterranean region. The discovery of substantial gas reserves in the region has presented a unique opportunity for Cyprus to enhance its energy security, boost economic growth, and establish itself as a key player in the regional energy market. The country recognizes that these resources have the potential to transform its energy landscape, reduce dependency on imports, and provide a reliable and sustainable source of energy for future generations. Cyprus is actively pursuing partnerships and collaborations with neighboring countries, exploring pipeline projects, and engaging in dialogue to maximize the benefits of its natural gas resources.