
The Trump Administration Should View The Agreements Not as Economic Partnerships but as Strategic Imperatives
Nicoletta Kouroushi, March 9, 2025
The Cyprus-Egypt recent
energy agreements mark a strategic shift in the Eastern Mediterranean, reinforcing a Western-aligned energy axis to help counter
Turkish assertiveness, limit
Russian influence, and reduce
China’s economic reach in the region. More than commercial partnerships, these agreements stabilize Mediterranean energy flows and prevent adversaries from dictating the region’s future.
As Ankara pursues regional dominance and
Moscow weaponizes energy, the United States must elevate Cyprus and Egypt’s energy cooperation as a cornerstone of its Eastern Mediterranean strategy. Failure to act will leave a strategic vacuum that adversarial powers will exploit, weakening U.S. influence in a region vital to American security and economic interests.
The
agreements include a Memorandum of Understanding between Cyprus, Egypt, and energy companies for the development of the
Aphrodite gas field, alongside a Host Government Agreement for hydrocarbon exploitation in Block 6 of Cyprus’s exclusive economic zone. Egypt will process and export Cypriot natural gas through its
liquefied natural gas terminals, offering the United States and its allies a secure, non-Russia energy source for Europe.
The United States must elevate Cyprus and Egypt’s energy cooperation as a cornerstone of its Eastern Mediterranean strategy.
These agreements are central to Eastern Mediterranean maritime
disputes. Cyprus has legally delineated its
exclusive economic zone through agreements with Egypt (2003), Israel (2010), and Lebanon (2007) under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. However, Turkey rejects this international framework, refuses to recognize Cypriot sovereignty, and has deployed naval forces to disrupt drilling operations. It also has declared the Cyprus-Egypt agreements “
null and void,” signaling an intent to obstruct their implementation.
Turkey aims to control regional energy routes. Its
2019 maritime pact with Libya attempted to erase Greek and Cypriot maritime boundaries, violating international law. Egypt countered by signing a maritime boundary agreement with Greece in 2020, legally dismantling Ankara’s revisionist claims.
Turkey’s interference in regional energy security is not an isolated challenge but part of a broader strategy to reshape regional power dynamics at the expense of U.S. allies and interests. Its actions disrupt regional stability and complicate Washington’s efforts to establish a secure, diversified energy supply chain for Europe. To preserve stability, the United States must act to prevent Ankara from leveraging energy as a geopolitical weapon.
The Cyprus-Egypt
energy agreements align with Washington’s geopolitical priorities:
First, Egypt’s liquefied natural gas infrastructure provides a reliable, non-Russian export route, aligning with Washington’s goal of
reducing Europe’s dependence on Moscow and reinforcing transatlantic energy security.
Second, supporting the Cyprus-Egypt energy axis weakens Turkey’s ability to manipulate regional energy flows. Turkey’s
foreign policy makes it an unreliable strategic partner. The United States must secure Mediterranean energy security through stable, cooperative allies like Cyprus and Egypt, rather than allowing Turkey to dictate terms.
Third, these agreements counter
China’s expanding economic footprint in Middle Eastern and African energy markets. By backing Cypriot-Egyptian energy cooperation, the United States blocks China’s expansion in a strategically vital corridor.
For these reasons, and to safeguard its strategic interests, Washington should take action.
The United States must take concrete steps to counter Turkish interference.
The United States must take concrete steps to counter Turkish interference. Washington should work with European allies to secure diplomatic backing, enforce international maritime law, and provide security assurances that reinforce the Cyprus-Egypt energy partnership as a strategic asset aligned with U.S. interests.
Washington also can facilitate private-sector investment and strategic financing mechanisms to expand liquefied natural gas infrastructure in Cyprus and Egypt. By mobilizing energy companies, financial institutions, and investment incentives, Washington can ensure the long-term viability of non-Russian gas supply routes.
Lastly, it is essential to strengthen regional security cooperation. The United States should leverage its partnerships within the
East Mediterranean Gas Forum to enhance security coordination around energy infrastructure, thereby reinforcing stability and energy resilience in the region.
The Trump administration should view these agreements not as economic partnerships but as strategic imperatives. They reinforce international maritime law, strengthen alliances, and ensure energy security for Europe. While the Senate has not ratified the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the United States abides by it because it considers most of its content to be customary international law. Inaction on the Eastern Mediterranean, however, will embolden revisionist powers, weaken legal norms, and jeopardize U.S. and European energy security. If Washington fails to engage, adversarial powers will dictate Mediterranean energy security—a costly strategic miscalculation.
Source: https://www.meforum.org/mef-observer/why-cyprus-egypt-energy-cooperation-benefits-the-united-states
Οι συμφωνίες μεταξύ Κύπρου και Αιγύπτου συνιστούν μια στρατηγική στροφή στην Ανατολική ΜεσόγειοΥπό την αιγίδα των ΗΠΑ, διαμορφώνεται μια νέα συμμαχία στη Μεσόγειο για την παραγωγή και διανομή φυσικού αερίου, η οποία αναμένεται να "αμφισβητήσει" τη Ρωσία, την Τουρκία και την Κίνα, όπως αποκαλύπτει το Middle East Forum.Ειδικότερα, οι πρόσφατες συμφωνίες μεταξύ Κύπρου και Αιγύπτου συνιστούν μια στρατηγική στροφή στην Ανατολική Μεσόγειο, που θα ενισχύσει τον δυτικό άξονα πρώτων υλών με στόχο την ανάσχεση της τουρκικής επιθετικότητας και τη μείωση της ρωσικής επιρροής στην περιοχή,επισημαίνει το δημοσίευμα.Οι συμφωνίες αφορούν την από κοινού ανάπτυξη κοιτασμάτων φυσικού αερίου ανοιχτά της Κύπρου από εταιρείες των δύο χωρών, καθώς και από διεθνείς εταίρους τους.Η Κύπρος έχει ήδη οριοθετήσει τις θαλάσσιες ζώνες της με όλους τους γείτονές της, με εξαίρεση την Τουρκία.
Ακρογωνιαίος λίθος της αμερικανικής στρατηγικής στη Μεσόγειο η συμμαχία Κύπρου - Αιγύπτου

Καθώς η Άγκυρα επιδιώκει περιφερειακή κυριαρχία και η Μόσχα χρησιμοποιεί την ενέργεια ως γεωπολιτικό όπλο, οι Ηνωμένες Πολιτείες προωθούν τη συνεργασία Κύπρου-Αιγύπτου στον ενεργειακό τομέα ως ακρογωνιαίο λίθο της στρατηγικής τους στην Ανατολική Μεσόγειο,συνεχίζει η ανάλυση του Middle East Forum.Το δημοσίευμα υπογραμμίζει ότι «η στήριξη της Ουάσινγκτον στον ενεργειακό άξονα Κύπρου-Αιγύπτου αποδυναμώνει τις δυνατότητες της Τουρκίας να χειραγωγήσει τις περιφερειακές ροές ενέργειας», ενώ ταυτόχρονα αφήνει εκτός νυμφώνος την Κίνα, η οποία επίσης ενδιαφέρεται για την περιοχή.Όπως σημειώνεται, οι Ηνωμένες Πολιτείες ενδέχεται να προσφέρουν εγγυήσεις ασφαλείας στην Κύπρο ενόψει των τουρκικών απειλών, ενώ παράλληλα οι συμφωνίες Κύπρου-Αιγύπτου θα ενισχύσουν την ενεργειακή ανεξαρτησία της Ευρώπης.
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