Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus on Friday condemned the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Turkey and the occupied north for the development of an undersea natural gas pipeline. The foreign ministry said the agreement was another manifestation of Turkey’s policy in the eastern Mediterranean.
Foreign ministry statement
The foreign ministry said the memorandum was part of ongoing efforts to consolidate faits accomplis of the occupation and to further integrate the occupied areas with Turkey.
Legal objections
The ministry said the memorandum contradicted international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. It said promoting energy projects without the permission of the Republic of Cyprus constituted a violation of the Republic’s rights under the convention.
Planned response
The ministry said the Republic of Cyprus would continue to defend its legitimate rights and intensify its efforts at a legal, political and diplomatic level on the basis of international and EU law in all competent organisations, including the European Union.