An Israeli delegation is in Cyprus for important talks. They want to finish a big agreement about the Aphrodite-Ishai natural gas field. Israel, Cyprus, and Egypt are working together. This helps them share energy resources in the Eastern Mediterranean. Representatives from Israel's energy, finance, and justice ministries are there. This shows the project is very important for Israel.
The talks are about how to develop and manage the Aphrodite gas field. This field has a lot of natural gas. It is in the waters of both Cyprus and Israel. The new agreement will help them cooperate. It will also help with the part of the field in Israel's area, called Ishai. They will decide how Israel will be paid fairly for gas from its waters. This will be good for everyone.
Developing this gas field is part of bigger energy plans for the region. A main goal is to send Cypriot gas to Egypt. Egypt will make the gas ready for ships. Then, it can be sold to other countries. This cooperation will make energy safer for all countries. Israel's Energy Minister, Eli Cohen, said natural gas is "strategic" for Israel. He wants Israel to produce and export more gas.
Israel received the final draft of the agreement. A former minister in Cyprus hoped to sign it this year. If this happens, Cyprus might start producing its own offshore gas in the early 2030s. This would be a big change for Cyprus's energy.
The plan is to put a special floating unit over the gas field. The gas will travel to Egypt through a pipeline. The Aphrodite field has about 3.5 trillion cubic feet of gas. This could bring many benefits to the region. This project is a big step for the Eastern Mediterranean's energy future.