Cyprus, Israel to cooperate on joint offshore gas exploitation

Cyprus, Israel to cooperate on joint offshore gas exploitation

Cyprus and Israel have expressed readiness to cooperate on a joint project to tap huge offshore gas deposits that may change the European energy map.

Israeli President Shimon Peres, who wrapped up a two-day official visit to Cyprus on Friday, said Cyprus and Israel have substantial economic cooperation potential with the discovery of natural gas in the Mediterranean.

"We can cooperate in generating this newfound energy, and use it for the benefit of the entire region," Peres said.

Cypriot President Demetris Christofias said that the project is expected to open the way to new sectors of cooperation between the eastern Mediterranean neighbors.

Israel gas deposits in two offshore fields are reported to total over 24 trillion cubic feet. An official of Noble Energy, a Texas-based company drilling for both Israel and Cyprus, has said large deposits are also expected to be confirmed in a neighboring Cypriot offshore field.

A possible joint project under discussion is the building of a 180-kilometer undersea pipe to bring the gas to the south shore of Cyprus, where a 10-billion euro facility to liquefy the gas is under consideration.

The European Union is reported to be keenly interested in the project, which will help it diversify its energy sources.

However, Turkish opposition to gas exploitation is a factor to be taken into consideration.

Both Christofias and Peres deplored threats by Turkey, which has sent navy ships and military aircraft to protect survey vessel charting the sea-bed close to where Noble Energy is drilling.

Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974 in reaction to a Greek coup and occupied its northern part. It has invoked the rights of Turkish Cypriots to natural gas deposits to justify sea survey off the south Cyprus coast.

"Israel will not threaten anybody but at the same time it will not take threats from anybody," Peres said.

"The Middle East yearns for harmony and will not tolerate other states' attempt for hegemony," he added.

However, both presidents also sounded a conciliatory note by stating that their cooperation will not come at the expense of other countries.

"We can cooperate in generating this newfound energy, and use it for the benefit of the entire region. We will do this through cooperation with the states in the region, and according to all international laws," Peres said.

Relations between once allies Turkey and Israel took a turn for the worse after the incident of Mari Marmara ship in May, 2010, when Israeli marines intercepted the Gaza bound vessel and nine Turkish activists on the ship were killed in ensuing shooting.

Israel has just given a warning that it will also intercept another Turkish flotilla now under sail for Gaza.

Cyprus-Israel relations have traditionally been friendly but not especially warm as Cyprus had tried to keep a balance on the Palestinian issue.

But Cyprus-Israel relations grew notably after the Mavi Marmara incident and an agreement to delineate their respective offshore exclusive economic zones.

Cyprus' state run television quoted diplomatic sources as saying that still unannounced defence agreements between Cyprus and Israel signed recently provide for intelligence sharing and for Israeli aircraft to fly through Cypriot air space and make use of its land defence infrastructure.

Six Israeli helicopters exercising in the eastern Mediterranean recently made a refuelling stop in Cyprus.

Editor: Fang Yang

English.news.cn   2011-11-04 20:42:35 FeedbackPrintRSS
NICOSIA, Nov. 4 (Xinhua)