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Foreign Minister Erato Kozakou-Markoullis informed on Friday the House Foreign and European Affairs Committee regarding the process for the ratification of agreements for the delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zones signed by Cyprus with its neighboring countries.

She also informed the members of the House Committee about the course of negotiations as regards the signing of agreements for the co-exploitation of hydrocarbons in cases where there are joint reserves extended beyond both sides of the mid-point delimitated by the EEZ.

Markoullis recalled that the Agreement with Israel for the delimitation of the EEZ was signed in December 2010 and was put into effect in February 2011. As she noted there were no problems with the signing and the ratification of the agreement.

Furthermore, she said that Israel and Cyprus are now negotiating for the signing of an agreement, which will constitute the framework for the joint development and exploitation of hydrocarbon reserves extended from one side of the mid-point to the other.

With regard to Egypt, Markoullis noted that the Agreement for the delimitation of the EEZ with this country was signed on February 17, 2003 and was put to effect on March 5, 2004. She noted that during her recent visit to Egypt, two months ago, she was assured that Egypt respects and abides by the agreements it has signed with the Republic of Cyprus and particularly “this important agreement for the delimitation of the EEZ.”

As regards the agreement for the joint development and exploitation of hydrocarbons reserves which extend from one side of the mid-point to the other, she explained that this agreement is different from the one that Cyprus is negotiating with Israel, in the sense that this agreement does not enter into any details as the agreement with Israel, which includes details about the allocation of resources in the case of joint reserves.

As regards the agreements with Lebanon, the Minister recalled that the Agreement for the delimitation of the EEZ was signed in January 2007 and was ratified by the parliament on September 29, 2007. She said that due to the domestic situation in Lebanon and to Turkish interventions, Lebanon has not ratified the agreement yet.

Furthermore, she noted that in July 2012 Lebanon submitted to the UN Secretary General a map of Lebanon’s south EEZ, according to which the country extends the mid-point dividing its EEZ from Cyprus’ EEZ eight nautical miles in the south. She explained that despite the fact that the mid-point is not affected, however its starting point is being changed and this change has to do with the delimitation of the EEZ between Lebanon and Israel.CNA

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