Washington reiterates gas hopes for entire region

The US state department has reiterated the American position on Cyprus' natural resources this week after ENI announced a new gas find south of the island, with a Cyprus News Agency report alluding to slightly altered language in the latest statement attributed to an official from across the pond.

According to CNA, an official from the US Department of State said Washington had a positive view of the latest announcement and preliminary estimates by the ENI/TOTAL consortium regarding a gas discovery some 100 miles off the Cypriot coastline.

“The United States remains united with our allies and partners in our commitment to promoting European energy security, reducing our collective dependence on Russian energy, and keeping up pressure on the Kremlin,” a State Department official was quoted as saying.

CNA did not name the official but the state-funded news agency pointed out the representative reiterated the American position on energy regarding the Republic of Cyprus.

“US policy on Cyprus' Exclusive Economic Zone is long-standing and has not changed,” the official said, adding that “we believe the island’s oil and gas resources, along with all of its resources, ought to be equitably shared between both communities.”

Previous US statements had called on sharing resources in the context of an overall solution to the Cyprus Problem.

But the omission of a reference to an overall solution did not come as a surprise.

Leaders have no plans to meet in New York

Earlier this week reports said the two community leaders of the divided island had no plans to follow tradition and meet next month in New York, where the UN General Assembly is set to take place.

Greek Cypriots in the south, who represent the Republic of Cyprus internationally, and Turkish Cypriots in the north who are not recognized by other countries except Turkey, have been accusing each other of violating laws and maritime rights through respective unilateral actions or claims in the eastern Mediterranean.

Both sides on the divided island say they have made energy proposals to the other but political pundits say they do not expect to see chances of cooperation, as the two sides have fundamental disagreements on how to move forward in settling the Cyprus Problem.

The two sides are backed by their respective “motherlands” Greece and Turkey, two guarantor powers and NATO allies at odds, as the two countries have been accusing each other of multiple violations and various types of encroachment.