Israel supports Cyprus energy search. Cypriot President to visit Jerusalem next month

Israel supports Cyprus energy search. Cypriot President to visit Jerusalem next month. (FamagustaGazeta).

ISRAEL SUPPORTS attempts by Cyprus to carry out natural gas exploration offshore, in spite of objections from Turkey challenging the endeavour.

We respect the integrity of Cyprus. You have your exclusive rights to explore in your economic zone for gas or oil reserves and we think it's unnecessary to add other tensions to the problems of the Middle East," Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman told reporters in Nicosia.

"I hope that the EU has enough power to be a real mediator and to take a reasonable position regarding the gas dispute and exploration in economic zone," he said.

Meanwhile, President Anastasiades will visit Israel to hold talks with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu according to a post on the government spokesman’s Twitter account.

Nicos Christodoulides tweeted that the visit would take place on December 2nd.

THE HEAD OF the Cyprus Hydrocarbons Company (CHC) Toula Onoufriou has expressed fury after discovering a senior Turkish Cypriot official was booked to speak at the same event in Israel.

Onoufriou reacted to the "out of programme” participation of Ozdil Nami in a conference taking place in Tel Aviv, where Onoufriou was invited to deliver a speech.

Onoufriou issued a statement expressing "shock” by the participation of "a so called official from a pseudo state, which is the result of the continuous occupation and invasion of Cyprus by Turkey”.

CHC President explained to the participants that this "so called state" is not recognized by any other country in the world including the state of Israel.

During his speech, Nami said that the Turkish Cypriots have rights to the hydrocarbons off the shores of Cyprus.

He said that the turmoil in the Middle East and the escalation of tension in the Eastern Mediterranean show them more than ever that coordinated efforts of all regional actors are needed to bring peace and stability to the region.

The Deputy Chief Advisor of the Israeli Prime Minister Eran Lerman, the US Ambassador to Israel Daniel Saphiro, Israeli Petroleum Commissioner Alexander Varshavsky, the CEO of the ECO Energy Company Amit Mor, the President of the Delek Drilling Company and the CEO of the Avner Oil Company Gideon Tadmor, the CEO of the Nobel Energy-Israel Bini Zomer and the CEO of the Modiin Energy Company Ron Manor attended the event.


Hmmm.....I've said it already many times the Cypriot gas will lead to a full scale conflict between 'Bully' Turkey and Israel.

Related: UN Special Adviser on Cyprus: Turkey-Cyprus standoff over offshore drilling is "really quite dangerous" .

Eide met with Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and Greek Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Evangelos Venizelos in Athens yesterday.

"Because it is in everybody’s interest that the negotiations to find a settlement continue. What’s happening right now is actually quite dangerous, and I encourage everyone to do their best to avoid any kind of further escalation”, he said.

Eide will be in Cyprus later today where he will have separate meetings with President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu.

On Wednesday, Eroglu has said that the removal of the Turkish research vessels from the Cyprus Exclusive Economic Zone is "out of the question” and that the research vessels are carrying out activities on behalf of the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus”.

Eroglu added that the Greek Cypriot side "should have acted wisely”. The United States have expressed concern about the latest issues in the Eastern Mediterranean as well as his hope that they would be resolved through diplomatic efforts.