Cyprus denounces Turkey in international forums for harassing the research vessel Nautical Geo, which is carrying out work on EastMad. The vessel has returned to the port of Larnaca and is awaiting instructions from the company that contracted it to investigate the issue of the economic viability of EastMed, Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides said
Speaking to state radio and the programme "Morning Routes" on the construction of the EastMed pipeline, the Foreign Minister said that the project was in the air from the beginning and what remains is the confirmation that the project is economically unviable.
He stressed that he had always seen the East Med as a tool to create problems, particularly in terms of efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem, but also for stability and problems with Turkey.
"The official policy was to support making the study viable. It would or would give the green light to proceed to the next stages. If it gives a red light there is no question of anything further."
He added that this "is a project that requires a huge investment, and of course only if EastMed was self-financing could it go ahead."
He clarified that the European Commission had undertaken to fund this feasibility study, adding that "we are now waiting for the results of the feasibility study, and if they are positive then we will move on to consider the next issues. If not, EastMed is not feasible," he added.
He noted that there are other options for the exploitation of natural gas, citing as an example the possibility of creating small pipelines, but also selling the gas through oil tankers that would move around the world. He also said that Cyprus could export electricity produced from Cypriot natural gas.
Referring to trilateral cooperation, he stressed that their primary objective was cooperation in the field of security and stability, with emphasis on counter-terrorism.
With regard to the decision to establish a trilateral cooperation secretariat at the Foreign Ministry, Mr. Kasoulides said that currently it had not been implemented, as a supplementary budget was needed. He also said that there was no appointment of George Lillikas to the post, as a decision of the Council of Ministers is needed to do so. What was done, he explained, is that the former Foreign Minister asked Mr Lillikas to head the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat.
*With information from RIK
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