EastMed Act to boost ties with 'real allies' says Menendez

The strengthening of ties with the United States’ “real allies” is at the heart of the EastMed Act, said US Senator Robert Menendez, referring to the Eastern Mediterranean Security and Energy Partnership Act of 2019, a bipartisan legislation that would allow the US to fully support the trilateral partnership of Greece, Cyprus and Israel through energy and defense cooperation initiatives.

Speaking at the 35th Congress of the World Coordination Committee of the Cyprus Struggle (PSEKA), the senator said real US allies should share the same values, believe in democracy and respect the international order that is based on rules.

Menendez clarified that the bill would not have been necessary even if Turkey was the “perfect ally,” adding however that “a perfect ally would not illegally explore energy resources within Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone, a flagrant violation of international law.”

A perfect ally would also not violate Greece's airspace over the Aegean on a daily basis, or think of buying the Russian S-400 systems, expecting to place them next to the F-35s, he continued.

“Our interests in the Eastern Mediterranean are too important to ignore,” he added.