Press Releases

It is my distinct pleasure and privilege to welcome to Cyprus my dear friend and colleague Francis Fannon, US Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources, and, of course, all the esteemed members of the delegations from the US, Greece and Israel.

Today, I feel, marks an important milestone in our 3+1 cooperation in the field of energy, with this first meeting of a Technical Group following last August’s Ministerial Meeting in Athens, affirming, once again, our shared commitment to promote peace, stability, security, and prosperity in the Eastern Mediterranean. The tangible support of the US Government is of paramount importance to this end.

The foundation was laid in March 2019, at the 3+1 Leaders Meeting in Jerusalem, where the leaders of Cyprus, Greece and Israel, in the presence of US Secretary of State Mr Mike Pompeo, agreed on a number of initiatives to promote closer collaboration in the region.

This was followed by the meeting in Athens of the Energy Ministers of Cyprus, Greece and Israel with the Assistant Secretary of State, where several key areas of common interest were identified, leading to an agreement to set up four specialized technical working groups. Their mandate, to highlight specific energy projects and propose ways for their implementation in the areas of:

1. Energy infrastructure,
2. Renewable energy sources and energy storage,
3. Emergency preparedness and response mechanism for offshore oil and gas operations, and
4. Cyber security for energy infrastructure.

We are, therefore, very happy that Cyprus is hosting today, in Nicosia, the first meeting of the first Technical Group formed under this structured quadrilateral mechanism for cooperation that focuses on energy matters.

The discussions of the Technical Group on “Emergency Preparedness and Response Mechanisms for Offshore Oil and Gas Operations” will cover the following topics:

1.  Environmental Protection, with emphasis on emergency preparedness, for example, regarding chemical spillage, oil pollution, waste management, etc.
2.  Health and Safety, involving preparedness to avoid major accidents. This includes internal emergency plans, safety reports, inspections, etc.
3.  Response Mechanisms for Safety and Security, in particular regarding platform abandonment. Focus will be on big scale evacuation, medical evacuation, security of operations, etc.

Experts from the competent authorities and Ministries, from all four countries, will discuss today best practices and identify potential areas of cooperation. Essentially, with the meeting starting shortly we begin to work, as per Athens’ Joint Statement, towards signing an agreement for a joint emergency preparedness and response mechanism for offshore oil and gas operations.

It is expected that the other three Technical Groups will also have their inaugurating meeting in the next few months.

Ladies and Gentlemen

Through the varied and ongoing cooperation efforts of countries in our region, it is becoming increasingly obvious to all that we share a common goal – and, importantly, that we are willing to put in the hard work – towards supporting our countries’ energy independence and establishing an Energy Corridor of the Eastern Mediterranean. Such a Corridor, will also contribute to the energy security of the EU, by actively promoting the diversification of its import sources and routes.

Following the recent developments towards the establishment of the East Mediterranean Gas Forum, the 3+1 mechanism is another tangible proof that the common vision for our region is better served through synergies and cooperation between neighboring countries. After all, multilateral partnerships can minimize the technical, financial and political risks for companies to operate and invest in their respective Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs).

The support of the US to our vision is profound and solid.

It is crucial, of course, to point out that in this context we would like to see all neighboring countries that share the same vision with us, participate in our efforts.

In fact, with one notable exception, we are witnessing all countries of the region adhering to the well-established principles of international law with regard to the exploration and exploitation of energy recourses, whilst also coming together and using energy as the cornerstone of regional cooperation.

In contrast to this positive and, indeed, promising outlook, Turkey acts as a spoiler through its continued illegal exploration activities in the EEZ of the Republic of Cyprus, escalating since last May and clearly violating international law and Cyprus’ sovereignty and sovereign rights.

Regrettably, Turkey continues to defy the international community’s, notably the European Union’s and the USA’s, repeated calls to cease this provocative behaviour and adhere to well-established principles of international law. We are grateful to our partners for their solidarity and support and we hope that these strong messages, which have been sent on numerous occasions, will be finally taken into account.

Dear friends and colleagues,

The Republic of Cyprus’ energy vision is clear and simple: To best exploit the energy resources in the Eastern Mediterranean, what is needed above all is for countries to respect national sovereignty and international law. It is, in any case, only through collaboration and synergies that stability, peace and prosperity, can be promoted in our shared region.

Cyprus, together with Greece, Israel and the US, will continue working towards this direction.

All the best to our technical teams for today’s deliberations. We look forward to your suggestions regarding our next steps for cooperation and actions.

Thank you.

(GA)