Energy should be the new catalyst for a solution
E DII TO RII A L
Was it a coincidence that the French Minister for Armed forces Florence Parly was on a brief visit in our parts of the wood the day that Total was supposed to start drilling in block eleven of the Cyprus Exclusive Economic Zone?
Boarding the French Navy frigate Languedoc, currently patrolling in the eastern Mediterranean, Parly sent out a clear message that France would protect its interests, despite threats by Turkey that it would obstruct oil and gas exploration within territory it claims for itself.
At the same time, the US Navy has also been around criss-crossing in waters reserved for exploration by ExxonMobil.
As it turns out, oil majors have a bigger say in regional politics than local politicians, who are still wrangling over what went wrong (if anything) at the Cyprus Conference in Crans Montana.
Judging from the finger-pointing that continued this week, fuelled by comments made by the Greek Foreign Minister that the UN’s chief facilitator was “unprepared” in Switzerland, no one has yet got a clue of what is going on in the region. And for once, Cyprus is not the centre of discussion.
There are far bigger events developing, some behind the scenes, others at the forefront as players embark on a show of force. Turkey is bickering with Israel, yet wooing Qatar, Egypt is preparing for a standoff with Qatar and does not like the noises Turkey is making, especially in Mediterranean waters close to its shores and Egyptian oil and gas wells.
The crisis in Syria and Iraq does not seem to be going away and global players, such as the U.S. and Russia, are on an ego drive, competing over menial matters, while the Middle East continues to implode.
A t the same time, while Cypriot politicians are entangled in a blame game and finger pointing, Turkey’s permanent delegate to the EU is trying to rewarm relations, suggesting to the bloc that “Turkey and the EU have much to offer each other. Ankara, officially a candidate since 1999, deems the accession negotiations the backbone of its relations with Brussels.”
Perhaps, it’s time that Cypriot politicians on both sides of the border put some water in their wine and started talking about concessions, compromises and confidence building measures, such as the establishment of a wealth fund to be shared by all, because with so much going on in the neighbourhood, it’s just a matter of time before everyone just gives up and Cyprus is left all alone, once again with nothing to bargain with.