Cypriot Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides has outlined Nicosia’s vision to establish an organization of security and cooperation in the region during a discussion at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) Policy Conference.
He said Cyprus hopes to create a regional security and cooperation body, with the participation of all like-minded countries.
Secretary General of the Organization of American States Luis Almagro and AIPAC’s International Affairs Director Stephen Schneider coordinated the discussion.
The Cypriot Foreign Minister set out the framework of relations between Cyprus and Israel, as a threefold one.
On the bilateral level, he noted the close cooperation between the two countries, which extends beyond the energy sector to matters of security, technology and health. He added that people-to-people contact is also enhanced.
On the trilateral level, he spoke of the cooperation mechanism between Cyprus, Greece and Israel, which also had as its starting point energy matters but has expanded to include other important areas.
Replying to a question on energy developments in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Foreign Minister said that the Republic of Cyprus cooperates with all states in the region aiming to make the most of the East Med’s energy prospects and the region’s potential to become an alternative energy corridor for Europe.
He stressed that Cyprus is interested in the EastMed Corridor in the context of which there are many prospects, among them the EastMed gas pipeline but also an LNG terminal in Cyprus.
“Everything will depend on the results of drills which will take place in 2019 and 2020,” said Christodoulides.
Asked how energy security in the region will be achieved, he said that security calls for collective cooperation.
This was discussed recently in the 3+1 summit in Jerusalem, in bilateral contacts Cyprus has had with everyone in the region and in a meeting between Cyprus, Greece, Israel and Italy related to the EastMed pipeline.
“We are very glad that the international community is recognizing this added value of the trilateral mechanism and in this regard we had the participation of Secretary Pompeo at the meeting in Jerusalem that is sending a clear message of the political support of the United States to this regional cooperation,” Christodoulides said.
He expressed satisfaction that France is also interested in participating in the cooperation with Egypt, while Italy is already in the discussion with Cyprus, Greece and Israel on the issue of energy.
“We believe we have to take a further step, to institutionalize our partnership and establish a regional cooperation for security and cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean. It is actually the only region in the world that doesn’t have regional organization."
The Cypriot Foreign Minister stressed Turkey is not excluded from this regional cooperation.
“Unfortunately, we cannot change geography; Turkey will always be there as a neighbour of Cyprus, Greece and Israel. Turkey with its behaviour excluded itself from our discussions. If Turkey wants to join these discussions, it is up to Turkey; to have good neighbouring relations and to respect the sovereign rights of the countries in the region,” Christodoulides said.
