In his remarks to the Cyprus News Agency, the minister referred to the revival of the 3+1 format and the talks that took place in Athens last week during the 6th Ministerial Summit of the Transatlantic Energy Cooperation Partnership (P-TEC), organized by the Atlantic Council.

He explained that this conference will focus on energy issues in the Eastern Mediterranean and the vertical gas corridor to supply northern Europe, with Alexandroupoli being the gas import hub.

"The main goal is to stop the flow of gas from Russia to Europe. Talks took place, but at the same time, agreements were signed that connect the supply chain and the entire corridor from the point of entry to the final destination. There was also a dialogue on the gas fields in the Eastern Mediterranean, especially with regard to Israel, which advocated the construction of a pipeline to connect the Israeli gas network with Cyprus," he explained.

Mr Papanastasiou mentioned that the Cypriot side had also raised the issue of deposits, as well as the use and marketing of the Republic of Cyprus' gas fields, which will deliver liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the region through a terminal in Egypt.

"To sum up, the overall situation concerned the Eastern Mediterranean. And the main interest of the Americans was to stop, cut off any natural gas supplies from Russia to Europe," he explained.

He explained that the talks focused on the US interest in a complete cessation of Russian gas supplies to Europe and their replacement with natural gas from other sources, such as US LNG and gas from the region. "Therefore, the deposits of the Republic of Cyprus as well as Israel's deposits are likely to represent an additional quantity to the large quantities needed to fill this corridor."

"Essentially, the three countries involved in the availability of natural gas with Alexandroupoli as an import point are the United States, Cyprus and Israel," he explained, also referring to the importance of the drilling traces in the Ionian Sea.

When asked, the minister stressed the importance of the announcement on the 3+1 format, saying: "If you read the announcement itself and between the lines, it becomes clear that it is mainly energy projects in the region that are being promoted, and the majority of these projects concern Cyprus and Greece."

"One [project] that may not have been explicitly named, but is nevertheless mentioned, is the GSI – essentially the electrical interconnector between Israel, Cyprus and Greece – which is supported by the 3+1 announcement and the ministers of the four countries, as well as the creation of an energy center to monitor, promote and supervise the region's energy projects," he noted.

He also clarified that the procedures for this energy center, including its location and other matters, are still being worked out and discussed.

The next 3+1 meeting will take place in the second quarter of 2026, expected in Washington, DC, the minister said.

Mr Papanastasiou also pointed out that the Republic of Cyprus was far ahead, as drilling had been carried out there for a long time and there were confirmed natural gas deposits, with Aphrodite and Cronos being the most mature.

He reiterated that Cronos is already making progress, as commercial contracts have been signed that essentially regulate the transport of natural gas from the field to its destination, the city of Damietta in Egypt, for liquefaction.

At the same time, he said, the technical processing of the infrastructure necessary for the connection of Cronos with Zohr, which is located in the Exclusive Economic Zone of Egypt (EEZ), has already begun.

"Cronos is a cross-border project that comes with some challenges. However, the existence of infrastructure in the immediate vicinity of Cronos makes these challenges more manageable, and it is feasible to extract the gas of Cyprus to the surface and transport it to Damietta for liquefaction," he explained.

The minister stressed that the most important signing between the sellers (the Republic of Cyprus) and the buyers (the two companies ENI and TOTAL) is expected to take place in the coming weeks.

He also recalled the development with Aphrodite, where the development and production plan was signed in February 2025.

The company is already implementing the goals contained in this plan, he said; the techno-economic study is currently being prepared and submitted within the next year, and the final investment decision will be made by the end of 2026. Aphrodite's natural gas is also supplied to Egypt to be fed into the Egyptian gas network there.

Mr. Papanastasiou also referred to statements by the Israeli Minister of Energy, who supports the idea of connecting the Israeli gas network to Cyprus so that Israeli natural gas can be pumped to Cyprus and the pipelines work in both directions.

However, the minister clarified that it was a statement made outside the conference "when the Israeli energy minister returned to Israel and made these statements to the Jerusalem Post."

When asked, he explained that these positions had been discussed within the framework of the 3+1 format, "it's just that the Israeli minister expressed this to the Jerusalem Post."

In response to another question, Mr. Papanastasiou replied that the Republic of Cyprus "has received a letter in which a company based in the Israeli EEZ informed us that it intends to proceed with the construction of a pipeline to connect certain Israeli deposits with Cyprus."







Author: MF editorial team
Source: CNA