Cyprus and Norway to discuss Turkey’s illegal drilling

Turkey’s illegal activity in Cyprus maritime zones will be the focus of discussions when Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Søreide visits Nicosia on Friday.

Søreide will pay Cyprus a working visit where she will hold talks with Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides.

After their meeting, the two Ministers will take part in discussions involving delegations of the two ministries.

“Discussions are going to focus on bilateral relations between Cyprus and Norway, developments in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East as well as the illegal actions taken by Turkey in the maritime zones of the Republic of Cyprus,” said a Cyprus Foreign Ministry statement.

It said relations between EU and Norway and energy security-related issues were also areas of interest to be discussed.

During her visit to Cyprus, the Norwegian minister will be a keynote speaker at an event called “Women in Diplomacy” at the Presidential Palace.

Since May 2019, Turkey has illegally conducted several drilling operations using in Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone and continental shelf/EEZ.

Turkey has begun new illegal drilling in the southern EEZ of Cyprus that lies within exploration block 8 which is licensed to the European energy majors Eni and Total.