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By Dr Andrestinos N. Papadopoulos, a.h.
An event of major importance was the signing ceremony in Nicosia on April 5 for the exploration and production contract for offshore Block 10 between Qatar Petroleum, ExxonMobil and the Cyprus government. Before the ceremony, President Nicos Anastasiades received the president and CEO of Qatar Petroleum, Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, and the vice-president of ExxonMobil, Andrew Swiger, at the Presidential Palace. During their meeting, they focused on current and future co-operation in the energy field and the terms of the contract for exploring the hydrocarbon potential of Block 10. Of no less importance was the presence of the Qatari and the United States governments through their ambassadors, Sultan Ibrahim Al-Mahmoud and Kathleen Doherty.
“This agreement expands our international upstream footprint into the eastern Mediterranean for what we hope is one of the most promising opportunities in the area,” said Al-Kaabi, commenting on the signing of the contract. “We look forward to working with the esteemed government of Cyprus along with our long-term partners, ExxonMobil, in the exciting prospect to bring greater benefit to the country.”
We understand Al-Kaabi’s comments better if we take into account the fact that Qatar Petroleum has resolved to achieve its strategic objectives of becoming one of the leading national oil corporations in the world, and to ensure the reinforcement of Qatar’s continued economic growth and expansion through optimised and safe operations.
The signing of the contract with Cyprus will, therefore, benefit both countries and is a reflection of the excellent bilateral relations existing between Qatar and Cyprus, which are characterised by strong bonds of friendship and mutual respect, based on the principles of international law. A good example of the willingness to further promote political and economic ties was President Anastasiades’ official visit to Qatar in 2014. On that trip, important agreements were signed and President Anastasiades assured the Qataris that they could count on Cyprus as a sincere friend within the EU, where Cyprus argues in favour of an enhanced political dialogue between the EU and the Gulf Countries. Also in April 2014, Qatar Airways launched of ten scheduled flights per week to Larnaca airport. In this respect, it augurs well that from May 2017 two further scheduled flights will be added, making Qatar Airways the largest non-European carrier operating out of Cyprus. These 12 flights will enable future travelers to be connected to Qatar Airways global network of more than 150 destinations. This development will certainly contribute to an increase in tourism to Cyprus.
In terms of the promotion of bilateral relations mention should also be made that the new ambassador of Qatar, Sultan bin Ibrahim Al Mahmoud, is sparing no efforts to enhance the close bonds of co-operation and friendship that exist between Cyprus and Qatar. And the results are there.
If we want to assess the importance of the agreement concluded with Qatar Petroleum, we should view it within the framework of the wider region of the eastern Mediterranean, which is currently faced with multiple challenges to peace and security. It confirms the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus in its exclusive economic zone and it would certainly discourage any future potential transgressor.
Dr Andrestinos N Papadopoulos is a former Cyprus ambassador.
