The US closely monitors the situation in Cyprus’ maritime zone and is opposed to any tension in the region, US Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources Francis Fannon is quoted as having said during a meeting of the Egyptian-American Chamber of Commerce, that took place on the sidelines of the second Ministerial Meeting of the East Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF).
According to the Egyptian press, Fannon has asked the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean region to participate in a constructive dialogue to ensure that natural gas will be a means of cooperation and coordination and not a means of conflict and instability.
The US official is quoted to have said that “the East Mediterranean Gas Forum represents an enormous opportunity of cooperation among the countries of the region, especially after the Egyptian leadership managed to unite Israel with the Palestinians, as well as other members of the forum: Jordan, Greece, Cyprus and Italy”.
Reports in Egyptian media note that Fannon stressed that the US is only an observer and that his country is helping in uniting the vision of the members of the forum in energy matters in order to offer an opportunity to progress and to recognise the importance of energy in the development and political stability of those countries, adding that the members of the forum have big incentives to cooperate with each other.
(Cyprus News Agency)