Relationship dossier
Cyprus
Egypt
Relationship assessment
Sustained cooperation on maritime boundaries, natural gas and eastern Mediterranean diplomacy
Cyprus toward Egypt
+60The Cypriot government concluded a maritime boundary agreement with Egypt in 2003 and pursued energy cooperation, including a 2018 agreement concerning a subsea pipeline to carry Cypriot gas to Egypt. Cyprus also participates in trilateral cooperation with Egypt and Greece.
Egypt toward Cyprus
+60The Egyptian government concluded a maritime boundary agreement with Cyprus in 2003 and pursued natural-gas cooperation, including the 2018 subsea pipeline agreement. Egypt also participates in trilateral cooperation with Cyprus and Greece.
Overall relationship
+60The relationship has a durable cooperative structure built around a maritime boundary agreement, energy coordination and recurring trilateral diplomacy with Greece. These practical arrangements support a substantially cooperative assessment, while the available basis does not establish an unusually close alliance.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Cyprus and Egypt maintain a sustained, cooperative relationship centered on energy and regional diplomacy. Their 2003 maritime boundary agreement established a framework for cooperation in the eastern Mediterranean, and the governments have pursued natural-gas cooperation, including a 2018 agreement on a subsea pipeline. Both also participate in trilateral cooperation with Greece. These arrangements indicate substantial practical cooperation, although the relationship is not characterized here as an exceptionally close partnership.
Key developments
Cyprus and Egypt concluded an agreement delimiting their exclusive economic zones.
Cyprus and Egypt signed an agreement concerning a subsea pipeline to transport natural gas from Cyprus to Egypt.
Cyprus, Egypt and Greece launched trilateral summit cooperation.
Major uncertainties
- The implementation status and practical scope of the proposed subsea gas pipeline are unclear.
- The extent of ongoing bilateral defense cooperation is unclear.