An exclusive economic zone (EEZ), as prescribed by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, is an area of the sea in which a sovereign state has exclusive rights regarding the exploration and use of marine resources, including energy production from water and wind. It stretches from the outer limit of the territorial sea out to 200 nautical miles (nmi) from the coast of the state in question. It is also referred to as a maritime continental margin and, in colloquial usage, may include the continental shelf. The term does not include either the territorial sea or the continental shelf beyond the 200 nautical mile limit. The difference between the territorial sea and the exclusive economic zone is that the first confers full sovereignty over the waters, whereas the second is merely a "sovereign right" which refers to the coastal state's rights below the surface of the sea. The surface waters are international waters.
The Aegean dispute is a set of interrelated controversies between Greece and Turkey over sovereignty and related rights in the region of the Aegean Sea. This set of conflicts has strongly affected Greek-Turkish relations since the 1970s, and has twice led to crises coming close to the outbreak of military hostilities, in 1987 and in early 1996. The issues in the Aegean fall into several categories:
The Arab Gas Pipeline is a natural gas pipeline in the Middle East. It originates near Arish in the Sinai Peninsula and was built to export Egyptian natural gas to Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon, with branch underwater and overland pipelines to and from Israel. It has a total length of 1,200 kilometres (750 mi), constructed at a cost of US$1.2 billion.
Relations between Cyprus and the United States can be described as excellent, both sharing membership in the United Nations, International Monetary Fund, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the World Bank and the World Trade Organization. Cyprus has been an observer to the Organization of American States.
Greece–Israel relations are the bilateral relationship between the Hellenic Republic and the State of Israel. Relations between the two countries were strained during the late 20th century, as Greece maintained strong relations and support of Palestine, which remains steadfast. The Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs defines this as evident of the "longstanding and consistent position of our country on the Palestinian Question. However, since 2008 relations with Israel have thawed, and have been among the strongest in the Eastern Mediterranean. Israel and Greece consider each other as collaborators in the aspects of military, intelligence and economy. Both countries are part of the Energy Triangle, which referred to the extraction of oil and gas from both Israel and Cyprus by 2015, which will be delivered to mainland Europe with a pipeline through Greece. The deterioration of Israel's relations with Turkey following the Gaza flotilla raid has heavily contributed to the strengthening of Greek-Israeli relations.
Cyprus–Egypt relations refer to bilateral relations between Cyprus and Egypt. Due to the strong cultural and historical ties between the two nations, Cyprus and Egypt today enjoy friendly, and strategic relations. Modern diplomatic relations between the two countries were established soon after Cyprus gained its independence in 1960, and are regarded as cordial. Cyprus has an embassy in Cairo and Egypt has an embassy in Nicosia.
The Tamar gas field is a natural gas field in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Israel. The field is located in Israel's exclusive economic zone, roughly 80 kilometres (50 mi) west of Haifa in waters 1,700 metres (5,600 ft) deep. The Tamar field is considered to have proven reserves of 200 billion cubic metres of natural gas, while the adjoining Tamar South field has 23 billion cubic metres. Together, they may have an additional 84 BCM of "probable" reserves and up to 49 BCM of "possible" reserves. At the time of discovery, Tamar was the largest find of gas or oil in the Levant basin of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea and the largest discovery by Noble Energy. Since Tamar's discovery, large gas discoveries have been made in other analogous geological formations dating back to the Oligocene–Miocene epoch in the Levant basin. Because Tamar was the first such discovery, these gas containing presalt formations have become collectively known as Tamar sands.
The Leviathan gas field is a large natural gas field in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Israel, 47 kilometres (29 mi) south-west of the Tamar gas field. The gas field is roughly 130 kilometres (81 mi) west of Haifa in waters 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) deep in the Levantine basin, a rich hydrocarbon area in one of the largest offshore natural gas field finds. According to some commentators, the gas find has the potential to change Israel's foreign relations with neighboring countries, including Turkey, and Egypt. Together with the nearby Tamar gas field, the Leviathan field is seen as an opportunity for Israel to achieve energy independence in the Middle East.
Antonis Paschalides also Antonios is a Greek Cypriot lawyer and politician member of DIKO. On 29 February 2008 he was appointed by the President of the Republic of Cyprus as Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, a position he held until 2019.
Cyprus–Israel relations refer to the bilateral relations between Cyprus and Israel. Israel has an embassy in Nicosia, while Cyprus has an embassy in Tel Aviv. Both countries are members of the Union for the Mediterranean, United Nations, Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization.
The Republic of Cyprus (Cyprus) and Turkey have been engaged in a dispute over the extent of their exclusive economic zones (EEZ), ostensibly sparked by oil and gas exploration in the area. Turkey objects to Cypriot drilling in waters that Cyprus has asserted a claim to under international maritime law. The present maritime zones dispute touches on the perennial Cyprus and Aegean disputes; Turkey is the only member state of the United Nations that does not recognise Cyprus, and is one of the few not signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which Cyprus has signed and ratified.
Aphrodite gas field is an offshore gas field off the southern coast of Cyprus located at the exploratory drilling block 12 in the country's maritime Exclusive Economic Zone. and bordering the Yishai gas field, located in Israeli territorial waters. Located 34 kilometres (21 mi) west of Israel's Leviathan gas field, block 12 is believed to hold 3.6 to 6 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. In 2014, the reserve estimate for the quantity of natural gas held by Aphrodite was raised by 12% due to new data received from the Yishai prospect as reported by Delek Drilling to the Israel Securities Authority. The cost of the field's development was estimated to range from $2.5 billion to $3.5 billion.
The EuroAsia Interconnector is a HVDC interconnector between the Greek, Cypriot, and Israeli power grids via the world's longest submarine power cable. Connecting Kofinou, Cyprus to Hadera, Israel and Korakias, Crete, Greece the EuroAsia Interconnector is a major Project of Common Interest of the European Union and a priority Electricity Highway Interconnector Project, as an energy highway bridging Asia and Europe. Regulatory approval of electricity interconnection between Cyprus and Greece was completed on October 10, 2017.
The Energy Triangle is a natural gas extraction plan between the three allied countries Cyprus, Israel, and Greece. The three countries agreed to use the gas fields Tamar, Leviathan, and Aphrodite; found in 2009, 2010, and 2011 respectively. About 40 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of natural gas were found between Cyprus and Israel, giving both countries an upper hand in the trading business within the region. Europe requires 19 tcf of natural gas a year and the Cypriot government believes that its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) holds 60 tcf; Cyprus pursued this financially beneficial option for the Energy Triangle to provide energy for the European Union.
There are disputes between China, Japan, Taiwan and South Korea over the extent of their respective exclusive economic zones (EEZs) in the East China Sea.
A joint declaration was made on 11 February 2014 at the start of renewed negotiations to settle the Cyprus dispute. The following talks between Nicos Anastasiades, President of Cyprus, and Derviş Eroğlu, President of Northern Cyprus, were stalled in October 2014.
The 2018 Cyprus gas dispute is a diplomatic dispute involving the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Republic of Cyprus in the eastern Mediterranean, which began on February 6, 2018. The dispute followed remarks made by Turkey's foreign minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, rejecting a 2003 Cypriot-Egyptian maritime border demarcation deal and announcing the Turkish government's intention to carry out gas exploration in the region. Tensions in the region further escalated on February 9, when the Turkish Navy blocked a drill ship operated by Italian oil company Eni S.p.A., licensed by the government of the Republic of Cyprus, from exploring gas reserves off the island.
The Eastern Mediterranean pipeline or simply EastMed is a planned offshore/onshore natural gas pipeline, directly connecting East Mediterranean energy resources to mainland Greece via Cyprus and Crete. The project, currently in design, will transport natural gas from the off-shore gas reserves in the Levantine Basin into Greece, and in conjunction with the Poseidon and IGB pipelines into Italy and other European regions. The pipeline will have a length of approximately 1,900 km, reach depths of 3km, and have a capacity of 10 billion cubic meters per year. Construction of the pipeline is expected to cost approximately €6 billion. The pipeline is being developed by IGI Poseidon S.A., a 50-50% joint venture between the Greek gas utility DEPA and the Italian gas utility Edison.
Turkey and the Government of National Accord (GNA) of Libya signed a Maritime Boundary Treaty in order to establish an Exclusive economic zone in the Mediterranean Sea, which meant that they could claim rights to seabed resources. However, fears were expressed that the agreement may fuel an "energy showdown" in this region, because it was highly contentious.
Greece has claimed an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) as per UNCLOS 1982 as well as customary international law. The total size is 505,572 km2 (195,202 sq mi) which is the 53rd largest in the world.
