The delimitations of the EEZ and the continental shelf provide security, stability and prosperity and contribute to the promotion and establishment of peace where it does not exist, said the independent presidential candidate of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulidis, speaking at an event dedicated to the “Question of the delimitation of maritime zones in the Eastern Mediterranean” jointly organized in Nicosia by the Plenary Meeting of the Presidents of the Greek Bar Associations and the Pan-Cyprus Bar Association (PBA).

“The delimitation of the EEZ gives strength and prestige to the delimitation states. It should be noted that the Republic of Cyprus has sovereignty or sovereign rights over the maritime territory, which is almost 11 times the land area of ​​our homeland,” he said.

In his speech, Mr. Christodoulidis, inter alia, said that the expectation of discovering hydrocarbons in the depths of our seabed led the Republic of Cyprus to conclude and sign EEZ delimitation agreements with Egypt in 2003 and with Israel in 2010 and sign them in 2007 an agreement not yet ratified by Beirut on the demarcation of the border with Lebanon.

“The recent US-brokered agreement between Lebanon and Israel to delimit their lateral maritime boundary and exploit a transboundary field appears to be creating momentum for a new maritime demarcation in the Levantine region and the wider Eastern Mediterranean basin. The Cyprus border demarcation agreement with Israel and its similar agreement with Lebanon must now be adapted to the new data introduced in the Israeli-Lebanese agreement,” he said.

Regarding Turkey, Mr. Christodoulidis stated that it is practically and politically very difficult to conclude an agreement with this country, explaining that: “If Turkey’s maritime claims against Cyprus were accepted, our homeland would lose in favor of 44% of Turkey’s EEZ and its continental shelf.

“The aggressive and illegal activities of Turkey led to the fact that in May 2019 we unilaterally submitted to the UN Secretariat the coordinates and the corresponding map of the external borders of the Cypriot EEZ, and the calculations were made on the basis of the Median Line principle. Thus, Cyprus has determined the limits of its jurisdiction over Turkey, limits that are respected by the international community,” he added.

Referring to the current situation and the energy crisis that Europe is experiencing, Nikos Christodoulidis emphasized that: “The need to exploit the energy reserves of the Eastern Mediterranean is imperative both for Cyprus and for the states of the region. The completion of the demarcation of maritime spaces and the active continuation of the hydrocarbon production program should be among the first priorities of the new Cypriot government.”

According to APE