Lebanese‐Cypriot relations were given a boost this past week (3‐9/12) by a series of

events, after a period of somewhat uneasy relations due to a Cypriot‐Israeli

agreement over the delimitation of their Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ), which,

according to Lebanon, conflicts with the United Nations Convention on the Law of

the Sea and is a violation of the country’s maritime border.

Cypriot Parliament Speaker Yiannakis Omirou was on a three‐day visit to Lebanon

(3‐5/12), which coincided with the organization of the “Lebanon International Oil

and Gas Summit” in Beirut. Omirou, who has met his Lebanese counterpart (who

has visited Cyprus in February 2012), and also the President of the Republic, the

Prime Minister and other officials (including from the opposition, in a gesture that

demonstrates Nicosia’s commitment to good relations with Beirut, regardless of

who is in power) focused on the need to strengthen cooperation between the two

countries, particularly when it comes to the exploitation of shared gas fields....continue reading