His opinion that the discovery of Cyprus’ natural gas resources should be seen in the light of cooperation between the region’s countries, expressed the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, responsible for Energy Diplomacy, Amos Hochstein. The key for the of major new discoveries of natural resources in the Eastern Mediterranean, according to Hochstein, is cooperation, while he expressed his disagreement with the individual countries’ strategy of making their own expensive infrastructure by copying one another. Responding to reporters’ questions regarding the gas reserves found in Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State said that he does not share the belief that these deposits are few, although he underlined that the research is still at a primary level and we must wait for the ENI/KOGAS drilling results to be made public. Regarding the best transport pathway which Cyprus’ resources should follow to reach Europe, the US official said that the issue should be addressed in the broadest sense, which is “looking at the Eastern Mediterranean in its whole, from Israel to Cyprus, Egypt, Turkey, Greece and, possibly in the future, perhaps Lebanon.” Furthermore, Hochstein underlined that any steps to be taken should respect the political aspect, adding that the existing infrastructure should be used, rather than a reproduction of costly projects from each country. “The more we cooperate, contributes to better results for the stability, security and prosperity in the region,” he said, highlighting that the region’s countries share common interests. The Eastern Mediterranean can be “a very good example that if our policies are correct, the benefits of natural gas will be very important and impressive,” for the global energy market as a whole and for the European Union in particular.
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