Egyptian Minister of Petroleum Tarek el Mulla asserted on Wednesday that an agreement that was signed here with Cyprus on transferring Cypriot natural gas to Egypt via an under-sea pipeline will help enhance joint cooperation in the domains of oil and natural gas.

He added in statements after the signing ceremony that the agreement will contribute to benefiting from the Cypriot gas to meet the needs of the local market in Egypt.

The agreement also constitutes an important step in boosting bilateral relations, he said, pointing out that it will consolidate Egypt's efforts for benefiting from its natural and geographic potentials.

Meanwhile, the Egyptian and Cypriot sides held a session of talks where they discussed means of promoting joint cooperation in the natural gas and oil fields