Cyprus, Israel, Greece Close Ranks on East Med Energy Cooperation

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades was Thursday hosting a three-way meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Greek counterpart Alexis Tsipras focused on energy cooperation between the Mediterranean states.

With Cyprus, which lies just 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the Syrian coast, on the fringes of a region wracked by conflict, the three countries say cooperation holds the key to regional stability.

While the alliance has emerged around gas reserves in the eastern Mediterranean, water resources and tourism were also high on the agenda of the talks, said Cypriot government spokesman Nikos Christodoulides.

"This meeting does not go against anyone. We are only looking for the benefit of us and the states in the region," Tsipras was quoted in Israeli media as saying at a separate meeting with Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Wednesday, referring to Greece's NATO partner but historic rival Turkey.

Netanyahu, for his part, said: "Our cooperation with Greece and Cyprus stands on its own... It does not depend on our efforts to normalise our relations with Turkey."

Turkey was a key regional ally of Israel until the two countries fell out over the deadly storming by Israeli commandos in 2010 of a Turkish aid ship, the Mavi Marmara, bound for Gaza.

But the two countries have reportedly been making progress in secret talks aimed at a rapprochement.

However, Turkey, whose troops occupy northern Cyprus, opposes Nicosia's exploitation of offshore energy reserves before a deal is reached on the island's four-decade division.

Israel has called for Turkey to respect Cyprus's right to explore for natural gas and avoid sparking additional tension in the region.

With Israel finding large reserves of gas close to where Cyprus is drilling, the two countries are looking to cooperate on energy issues such as exporting Israeli gas.

Photo source: www.gmfus.org