23279 - The Cypriot issue and the pipeline

N. Lygeros
Translated from the Greek by Athena Kehagias

The only natural gas pipeline which can aid in solving the Cypriot issue is the EastMed pipeline.
All other efforts which are promoted for other reasons, including servility, are simply unacceptable for Cyprus.
The fact that there are guarantor powers, in itself set’s the sovereignty in question, and we know how that was taken advantage of in 1974.
Since then, Turkey’s moves are anything but friendly towards Cyprus, as according to her, it doesn’t even exist as such.
Consequently, even a reference regarding a pipeline passing through Turkey, is a mistaken strategy, which has no prospects at the diplomatic level, nor of a future at a financial one.
And the reason is simple, as it would cause an immediate dependence, which would not even have the benefit of communication with the European Union.
It can’t therefore constitute an argument for either resolving the Cypriot issue, or for the future of Cyprus.
The strategic Cypriot reserves are situated south of the island due to the Mediterranean ridge factor, and it makes no sense for the flowchart to change, which in actual fact aims at the European Union.
Also, as the latter promotes and encourages Member States to investigate the indigenous energean sources in the field of hydrocarbons in order to reduce its necessary associated costs, but to also ensure, to a certain extend at least, the energy required by her activities, with of course, consequences on a worldwide level and not merely the local one.