Nicosia: Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Karim Badawi attended a ceremony in Nicosia on Thursday, 8/1/2026, marking Cyprus's assumption of the rotating presidency of the European Union. Badawi represented President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi at the event, which was attended by Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, and other leaders.According to State Information Service Egypt, Badawi stated that Egypt's participation reflects strong ties with Cyprus, highlighting increasing cooperation on regional natural gas connectivity. He mentioned that the two countries have made progress in turning energy linkage projects into agreements and steps toward implementation, as Egypt seeks to strengthen its role as a hub supplying European energy markets.On the sidelines of the ceremony, Badawi met Cyprus's energy minister, where both sides reaffirmed continued coordination on energy cooperation and the developme nt of natural gas resources to serve shared interests.