While Turkey continues its policies to redefine exclusive economic zones (EEZ) in the Eastern Mediterranean, at the expense of Cyprus and Greece, the Three Foreign Ministers (Greece-Cyprus-Israel) decided to reactivate the East Med gas pipeline, alongside other programs.
"The Eastern Mediterranean can offer a key energy corridor to Europe through a planned electricity cable that will connect the electricity grids of Cyprus, Greece and Israel and a possible natural gas pipeline," said the joint statement today by the Three Ministries of Foreign Affairs.
The three foreign ministers met in Nicosia as part of a series of high-level tripartite meetings aimed at deepening a partnership based on the discovery of significant offshore gas fields.
"Unleashing the full potential of our region will be a game-changer," Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos said at a press conference.
"We are trying to promote a reliable and sustainable energy corridor from the Eastern Mediterranean basin to Europe." "Work has not started either on the cable, which will be partially financed by the European Union, or on the natural gas pipeline, which has been discussed for years but is still at the feasibility study stage," he stressed.
The Cypriot Foreign Minister underlined that the projects have acquired additional weight and urgency in light of Russia's war against Ukraine and the "need for energy diversification and increased interconnection".
Mr Kombos said a 2,000 megawatt undersea electricity cable known as the EurAsia Interconnection and the proposed EastMed natural gas pipeline "remain two important strategic options on our energy agenda".
EastMed is a 1,900 km long natural gas pipeline that will connect the natural gas reserves of the Eastern Mediterranean to Greece.
It will have an initial capacity to transport ten billion cubic meters per year to Greece and Italy and other countries in South-Eastern Europe.
The main issue that Ankara will react to this plan is the fact that the East Med pipeline "cuts" in half Turkey's plans to obtain an EEZ in the Eastern Mediterranean.
According to information, even the really burning issue of guarding the pipeline that will pass through a large part of the Greek, Cypriot and Israeli territory with a joint military force has been discussed between the Three sides.
A force of fast boats, armed helicopters, special forces, in cooperation with satellites and closed communications, will be in the area on a permanent basis due to Turkish threats and movements.
The modernization of equipment and means (especially speedboats) is for this very purpose, while the US will also contribute to this pipeline project by changing everything.
Of course, all these big plans do not include Turkey, which sees itself losing the energy game along with the support of the USA, for this and any reaction it will take before the implementation of this pipeline, in order to create completed ones.
It is estimated that the Turks based on a terrible plan will stir up Hamas against Israel, while once the elections are held and depending on the result, we will soon return to threats against Greece and Cyprus.
