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"The East Med pipeline does not threaten anyone" was the message sent by the Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades, and the Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu, during the signing ceremony of the Interstate Agreement for the pipeline. The three heads of state invited anyone who wishes to participate in the project, on the strict condition that they respect International Law and the rules of good neighborliness.
Emphasis was also placed on the benefits of the pipeline, which, in addition to the economic and development side, is expected to contribute to peace and cooperation in the region, as well as to the upgrading of the geopolitical position of the countries cooperating for its construction.
The Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, as well as the President of Cyprus, Nikos Anastasiadis, also referred to the support of the European Union, which will participate in the co-financing of the project, but also of the United States, which provides cross-party support for the pipeline, setting the diplomatic parameter of the project .
The signing of the Intergovernmental Agreement on East Med natural gas pipeline between Greece, Cyprus and Israel took place in Zappeion.
The agreement was signed in the presence of the Prime Ministers of Greece and Israel Kyriakou Mitsotakη and Benjamin Netanyahu, and the President of Cyprus Nikos Anastasiadis, by the Energy Ministers of the three countries Kostis Hatzidakis, Yuval Steinits and Giorgos Lakkotrypis.
"It is with great pleasure that I welcome two very good friends to Athens today," said Mr Kyriakos Mitsotakis, in the joint statements that followed. "It is the culmination of a close relationship" of the three countries. The Zappeio Agreement has an economic, developmental, diplomatic and geostrategic dimension, he said, noting that it is a contribution to peace and geopolitical stability, because it demonstrates the states' practical disposition towards this end. "It will upgrade the geostrategic value of Greece and Cyprus in the Mediterranean," he stressed. adding that it will deepen cooperation with Israel. Leaving spikes against Turkey, without naming it, Mr. Mitsotakis said that the pipeline will contribute to the stability of the region, away from costly revisionism.
"The East Med pipeline is coming to contribute to the reformation of a new energy landscape that respects international law and consolidates international legitimacy," said Mr. Mitsotakis, pointing out that the European Union and the US support the creation of the pipeline. At the same time, our country is becoming a critical player in energy in the Mediterranean. As he said, the pipeline is a contribution to peace and geopolitical stability and proves the practical intention of the three states to treat energy as a link of cooperation between peoples and not as a cause of disagreements and conflicts. At the same time, he welcomed Italy's support for the pipeline, saying he expects Italy to become the fourth member of the effort.
Mr. Mitsotakis also referred to the benefits of the pipeline, saying that it is the culmination of a new geopolitical partnership between the three countries. On an economic level, there will be revenues from gas production, transmission and distribution as well as a reduction in market prices. "We did not sign a favorable agreement, but we also sealed the cooperation of our countries," at a critical time for security. “East Med is not a threat to anyone. Tripartite figures do not turn against anyone. Regional cooperation is open to all, under one condition: to respect international law and the rules of good neighborliness. It is not a pipeline of economic progress but a pipeline of peace and cooperation of the countries of the region", Mr. Mitsotakis concluded.
The prime minister also referred to the former energy ministers of Greece, Yannis Maniatis and George Stathakis, who were present at the ceremony, and who contributed to reach today.
Anastasiadis: Today is a historic event
For his part, Nikos Anastasiadis emphasized that the agreement confirms that the countries' cooperation has matured to such an extent that the three countries can promote projects with geopolitical value. The pipeline, he said, has enormous geopolitical value for the countries and the wider region, while it will contribute to the energy security of the EU, which is participating in the financing of the project. "We confirm in the most tangible way that the cooperation we have developed in recent years is not limited to theoretical and empty declarations, but has matured to such an extent that we are able to promote strategic projects of particular geopolitical value in a practical and convincing manner" , emphasized the president of Cyprus.
Tripartite cooperation has been founded on a scheme of self-evident political value, based on historically shared values, with the aim of finally achieving peace, stability and security in the volatile region, he said. "The partnerships we have developed are not directed against any third country. On the contrary, any country that wishes to do so is welcome, as long as it respects the rules of international law, he said, referring indirectly but not clearly to Turkey.
According to the president of Cyprus, the discovery of hydrocarbons in the eastern Mediterranean can strengthen partnerships and enhance the value of resources, contributing to security in the region. In fact, he included the signing of the interstate agreement "in the common position that the discovery of significant hydrocarbon reserves in the Eastern Mediterranean can strengthen partnerships, multiplying their strategic value and thus contributing to efforts to achieve peace in the region." A belief, as he pointed out, "which is also shared by the majority of states in the region, through the establishment of the Eastern Mediterranean Forum by Greece, Israel, Italy, Cyprus, Egypt, Jordan and Palestine, which has secured the full support of both European Union as well as the United States of America".
At the same time, he said that the three countries will also proceed with the electrical interconnection of the three countries through a submarine cable, known as the EuroAsia Interconnector, a project that also has the practical support of the EU.
Continuing on the same wavelength, the Cypriot President expressed the common belief that our cooperation, based on the principles of international law, solidarity, reciprocity and honest dialogue, reflects the benefits that can be achieved when countries with common concerns, goals and interests unite their forces instead of isolating themselves.
Netanyahu: The pipeline brings security to the region
The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, spoke of a historic day for Israel, noting that the Levathan field was opened and there is a large amount with excellent development prospects, while Israel also signed agreements with Arab countries.
Like the previous ones, Mr. Netanyahu said that the pipeline does not threaten anyone. We ask and invite any country that wishes to, in principle Italy, then Egypt, to help. This will further strengthen cooperation in the region," he said.
"There is a historical anomaly that our countries have experienced. In Athens and Jerusalem we created the foundations of Western Civilization. Greece and Israel, on one side, Cyprus in the middle, we created the values that have prevailed in humanity. But in modern times, there was a lack of connection between our countries. But we fixed that," said the Israeli prime minister.
At the same time, he emphasized that today's tripartite meeting was the seventh and mentioned that it is upgrading the cooperation of the three countries to an even higher level in order to supply Europe with energy. He even expressed Israel's will to further strengthen cooperation.
It was preceded by meetings between the three politicians
The importance of the pipeline is considered huge, as East Med is expected to be a game-changer in the eastern Mediterranean, strengthening Greece's geopolitical importance as an energy hub, while helping to wean Europe off Russian gas.
"An important day for Greece - Cyprus - Israel", characterized today the Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who held consecutive meetings with the President of Cyprus and the Prime Minister of Israel at the Maximos Palace. All three heads of state met in a tripartite meeting in Zappeion, shortly before the agreement. In a similar climate were the statements of Nikos Anastasiadis, who spoke of a "historical milestone.
The benefits of EastMed
The pipeline will connect the natural gas fields of the Eastern Mediterranean to the European market via Cyprus and Greece. This is a project that upgrades the role of our country in the wider region of South-Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean basin and is the culmination of the new geopolitical partnership between Greece, Cyprus and Israel. At the same time, it puts an end to the energy isolation of Cyprus and ensures the supply of gas to areas of our country that currently do not have access to the national grid.
Cooperation for the East Med does not turn against any third country, but turns energy into a catalyst for regional cooperation and stability, for the benefit of all.
The project is also in line with the strategic energy aspirations of the European Union, as it opens a new gas supply corridor and will contribute to the energy security of the member states through the diversification of sources and routes.
At the economic level, our country will benefit from the production, transportation and distribution of natural gas, while consumers will also benefit from the reduction in energy costs. There will also be gains on the environmental policy front, as East Med will facilitate the transition to a low-emissions economy with natural gas as a transition fuel.
The initial capacity of the pipeline is planned to be 10 billion cubic meters of gas per year, with the possibility of doubling it in the future.
SOURCE: website www.protothema.gr, 2.1.2020
READ ABOUT:
SEE HERE VIDEO WITH STATEMENTS
THE MESSAGES OF EAST MED, DAILY, 3.1.2020
EXPANDING COOPERATION ON MULTIPLE LEVELS, DAILY 3.1.2020
THE SIGNATURES HAVE FALLEN, THE THORNS REMAIN, EDITORS' NEWSPAPER, 3.1.2020