Nicosia, Cyprus. The government confirmed on Monday that Cypriot intelligence service chief Tasos Tzionis travelled to Lebanon in June, but did not disclose the purpose or details of the visit following reports that he met Hezbollah representatives.
Government confirmation
The Cyprus News Agency, citing government sources, reported that Tzionis held “a series of contacts” during his visit, without providing further details.
Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar reported that he met Lebanese army commander Rodolphe Haykal, the army’s intelligence director Tony Kahwaji, and “the leadership of Hezbollah”.
EEZ agreement
According to Al-Akhbar, Tzionis carried files concerning bilateral relations, with his main focus on the maritime border and the exclusive economic zone.
The newspaper reported that he urged Lebanese officials not to reconsider the agreement delimiting the exclusive economic zones of Cyprus and Lebanon, which was signed in November last year.
It said the request came amid tensions with Turkey, which opposes Nicosia’s actions on maritime boundary delimitation and gas pipelines, alleging that they infringe on the rights of Turkish Cypriots.
Al-Akhbar quoted Tzionis as saying that the maritime dispute was between Ankara and Nicosia and did not concern Lebanon, leaving no basis for Beirut to reconsider the agreement.
Turkey’s maritime position
Turkey maintains that the sea west of Lebanon’s exclusive economic zone, which Lebanon agreed to delimit with the Republic of Cyprus, forms part of its “Blue Homeland”, or “Mavi Vatan”, doctrine.
The doctrine sets out Turkey’s maritime claims in the Aegean, Black and Mediterranean seas. In the eastern Mediterranean, it is based on the continental shelf and the position that islands are entitled only to an exclusive economic zone extending 12 nautical miles from their coastlines.
Under this position, Turkey considers waters beyond the 12-nautical-mile limit off Cyprus to be Turkish.
Al-Akhbar reported that the matter was discussed before Lebanese President Joseph Aoun’s visit to Turkey a few days earlier, in view of Ankara’s opposition to Lebanon joining regional oil and gas arrangements that exclude partnership with Syria or place Beirut in alliances hostile to Turkey.
