Israel's prime minister visits Cyprus
Isreal Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has paid a one-day visit to Cyprus, in a move that highlights the dispute over Mediterranean gas-drilling rights.
During his meeting with Cypriot President Dimitris Christofias, Netanyahu negotiated the question of whether natural gas co-operation would include the Israeli defence of Cypriot gas rights.
Netanyahu said that Israel and Cyprus were conducting various feasibility studies as to how they could co-operate, including studying whether it would be better to export the gas from the two countries west to Europe through Cyprus or east to Asia through Israel.
During the official meeting, Cypriot president had harsh words for Turkey, calling it a "troublemaker in the region", while at the same time Netanyahu avoided making any reference to the country, stating that the development of ties between the two countries was for the benefit of Cyprus and Israel, which could assist the region.
Turkey and Lebanon are demanding a share of the natural gas that a group led by Noble Energy Inc. discovered off the coasts of Israel and Cyprus, estimated to be worth billions of dollars in exports.
The US Geological survey estimates that the Levant Basin, a triangular slice of the Mediterranean lying between Cyprus and Israel, may hold 122 trillion cubic feet of gas. Noble Energy discovered the Tamar field in 2009 and the Leviathan field in 2010, both off the coast of Israel.
At the same time, the Turkish foreign ministry said that Turkey will not allow foreign oil companies to conduct unauthorised oil/natural-gas exploration and exploitation activities in these overlapping areas and will take all necessary measures to protect its rights and interests in the maritime areas within its continental shelf.
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