Iran Energy News Oil, Gas, Petrochemical and Energy Field Specialized Channel
Related Articles
US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Wess Mitchell reaffirmed Washington’s support for Greek Cyprus right to explore for oil and gas reserves on Friday. He made the remarks after meeting with Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades on the last stop of a regional tour. reports Greek paper Kathimerini.
Tensions over the exploitation of natural resources believed to lie in the seabed around Cyprus have peaked in recent months. Turkey has deployed its navy to prevent Greek Cyrus’ from exploiting natural gas reserves. with its warships twice blocking Italian company Eni from carrying out exploratory drilling activity this year.
Eni has expressed its determination to fulfil its contracts with Greek Cyprus despite the interference.
In addition to Eni. exploration vessels from U.S. company ExxonMobil and Qatar Petroleum are currently in Cyprus. They also intended to carry out drilling activities.
But Turkey has shown no signs of backing down. On Wednesday. Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım reiterated Turkey’s position that underground riches surrounding the island should only be extracted with the permission of both the island’s administrations. “Any work in which one of these interlocutors is not part of the deal will be evaluated by us as a threat to the sovereign rights of North Cyprus.“ he said.
The Republic of Cyprus. based in the island’s south. though internationally recognised as having sovereignty over the whole island. says the Turkish Cypriots will have a share of the resources after a political agreement to resolve the division of the island is reached.
The United States shares this view. though also. “recognises the right of the Republic of Cyprus to develop its resources in its Exclusive Economic Zone“. the position Mitchell affirmed on Friday.
Mitchell also expressed Washington’s desire that talks over the fate of Cyprus would resume.
The most recent round of talks aimed at reunifying the island. divided since a Turkish invasion in 1974. collapsed in June last year. amid acrimonious scenes.
