Washington has consistently recognised the right of the Republic to develop energy resources in its Exclusive Economic Zone, said the new US ambassador to Cyprus, Judith Garber.
President Nicos Anastasiades told Garber that ExxonMobil’s recent announcement of a huge natural gas discovery in Cyprus’ EEZ, will be a game changer for the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East, enhancing its strategic significance.
In remarks at the presentation of her credentials to President Anastasiades, Garber said that this is an exciting time in US-Cyprus relations as the interests of Cyprus and the United States in the Eastern Mediterranean have become increasingly aligned.
Garber said her work in Cyprus will be dedicated to broadening and deepening the relationship of the two countries, “increasing the people-to-people ties between Americans and Cypriots, and advancing the peace, prosperity and stability of the region”.
“This is an exciting time in U.S.-Cypriot relations. The interests of Cyprus and the United States in the Eastern Mediterranean — at the crossroads of Europe, the Middle East and Africa – have become increasingly aligned, and the Republic of Cyprus is a valued friend and important strategic partner in this critical region”, the new ambassador said.
Garber added, “we can continue to make progress on issues of mutual concern: fighting terrorism, preventing proliferation, protecting human rights, combating human trafficking, strengthening law enforcement, and improving maritime security.
With the signature of the Statement of Intent by Assistant Secretary of State Mitchell and Foreign Minister Christodoulides last year, our bilateral security partnership will surely grow deeper and stronger.”
On the economic front, Garber said “we can improve our trade and investment ties as Cyprus diversifies its economy and strengthens its banking regulations”.
She said the new energy discoveries come with “great promise and equally great responsibility”, adding that the United States has “consistently recognized—in public and in private—the right of the Republic of Cyprus to develop the resources in its Exclusive Economic Zone”.
“These resources should be equitably shared between both communities in the context of an overall settlement. These finds can and should lead to the greater prosperity and stability of the entire Eastern Mediterranean region and help diversify Europe’s energy supply”.
Receiving the credentials, the President said the warmth and mutual trust “in our bilateral relations was evidenced through the upgrading of Cyprus as a strategic partner for the US and by important bilateral contacts, including the meeting between myself and Secretary Pompeo this week in Israel”.
The President remarked that the involvement of American companies, namely ExxonMobil and Noble, in the exploitation of Cyprus hydrocarbon reserves "marks a new era for our bilateral relations, one that will serve towards tightening the economic and commercial links between our two countries, as well as towards expanding our investment ties and our cooperation in the fields of energy and energy security”.
Anastasiades said ENI’s discovery of potentially the world’s largest natural gas field off the Egyptian coast and ExxonMobil’s recent announcement of discovery of a natural gas reservoir in Cyprus’ EEZ, “will be a game changer for the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East, enhancing its strategic significance”.
He said there was a joint vision of transforming the Eastern Mediterranean into an energy hub that would contribute to the region’s stability, through the diversification of energy sources and routes.
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