23654 - The cypriot EEZ will resolve the cypriot question
E. Konofagos, N. Lygeros
Translated from the Greek by Vicky Baklessi
We have repeatedly said that it is the cypriot EEZ which will resolve the cypriot question. Through the European framework and the EEZ domain there is potential for a strategic resolution of the cypriot questions and in fact a fair one. The community negotiations which do not utilize the facts of the cypriot EEZ have no meaning and indeed do not follow the high strategy of Cyprus. There is no reason to be hasty in finding an unfair solution, while we have so many potentials due to the cypriot EEZ. The extraction of natural gas must precede the solution of the cypriot question so that our geopolitical position be respected by all sides. In addition the new seismic data through the analyses and their interpretations demonstrate in a clear manner that in the offshore block 11 of the cypriot EEZ there is a field of the type of Zohr and of the value of Leviathan. The Zohr field which is super giant has a confirmed value of reserves 26 trillion cubic feet with 90% certainty and 56 trillion cubic feet with 10% certainty. This means that the field in the offshore block 11 if it is filled in the same manner it will be in the order of 16 and 28 trillion cubic meters, therefore giant or even super giant. And since the drilling by Total will be done in 2016 after the renewal of the concession agreement which it has already done for this offshore block, for what reason should we be hasty with the resolution of the cypriot question since we will have in our quiver a new and in fact immense instrument of a robust negotiation, while we now continuously say that we do only what we can. This field is the change of cycle for Cyprus and not only a change of phase, just like the Aphrodite field.