Progress in Eastern Mediterranean Energy Cooperation
Israel, Cyprus and Greece are experiencing unprecedented positive diplomatic relations, particularly in energy cooperation. This summer, on June 15, these three former adversaries participated in a trilateral summit – the third of its kind. In a joint declaration, the parties affirmed their commitment to working on “energy efficiency, alternative fuel for transportation and smart mobility… protection of the marine environment, water and wastewater management, as well as adaptation to climate change impacts.” Moving forward, the parties agreed to increase the number of exchange programs among themselves to foster innovation and project development in this sector.
Indeed, while the trilateral summit also covered issues such economic growth, innovation, and entrepreneurship; energy is and will continue to be the pinnacle of Eastern Mediterranean cooperation. In 2013, the three nations signed a tripartite energy Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in Nicosia, Cyprus, after roughly a year of negotiations. This MOU initiated the EuroAsia Interconnector, a 3-billion-euro cable which would connect the electric grids of the three nations. Additionally, and perhaps of greater significance, over the last decade and a half, there have been numerous discoveries of natural gas reserves in the Eastern Mediterranean. These discoveries have been specifically in the Levant basin, or the area surrounding Cyprus and Israel. In response, on April 3, 2017, the three nations — and Italy — agreed to oversee the development of an Eastern Mediterranean pipeline. At 2,000 kilometers in length, the pipeline is set to be the world’s longest underwater gas pipeline. It will be privately funded, costing roughly 6.7 billion U.S. dollars and would be able to transport 10-16 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year. Energy ministers from all three nations hope to see it functional as early as 2025. The EastMed pipeline will be designed to connect the natural gas reserves of Israel and Cyprus to Europe, allowing European nations to become less dependent upon Russian energy. Thus, another outcome of the project will be changing the geopolitical landscape of the region.
United States representatives have offered their unsolicited support for this trilateral partnership. American backing was demonstrated in February 2017, with the establishment of the Congressional Hellenic-Israeli Alliance (CHIA), co-chaired by Congressman Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Congressman Ted Deutch (D-FL). In an op-ed published in the Washington Times, the two declared that the trilateral partnership, “will help strengthen our shared democratic values in the region” and that “[t]he countries’ strategic location, natural resources and intellectual capital bring issues, such as economic development, energy production and counterterrorism, to the forefront”.
Furthermore, it’s notable that Cyprus, Greece and Israel have experienced such success in terms of cooperation, given their complicated pasts. In the immediate years after World War II, Britain detained roughly 50,000 Jewish Holocaust survivors on the Island of Cyprus, which was under British control at the time, to prevent them from entering The Land of Israel. Though this detention did not involve Cypriots directly, the event’s affiliation with Cyprus has left a mark on the collective memory of many Jews and Israelis. Additionally, shortly after Cyprus gained independence, she became a member of the non-aligned movement, which arouse during the Cold War and comprised of states which rejected the Western Block. The non-aligned movement is generally seen in opposition to the existence of Israel and Greece as a member of NATO. It was not until 2003 when Cyprus left the movement. At the same time, while Israel and Greece were both in opposition to the non-aligned movement, this is not to say that Hellenic-Israeli relations developed without their own set of issues. In 1947, Greece’s U.N. envoy voted against the proposed creation of a Jewish state, and Greece was also the last Western European nation to formally recognize the state of Israel. Despite their complicated histories, today Greece is a self-declared friend of Israel, and Cyprus remains on the frontline of the fight against modern day anti-Semitism. President Anastasiades of Cyprus has gone on the record saying, “Cyprus will continue to be an uncompromising shield against anti-Semitism.” How remarkable, if not encouraging, to see the degree to which these nations’ attitudes have changed towards one another.
There is tremendous opportunity for these Eastern Mediterranean nations to explore potential areas for cooperation. The next trilateral summit is set to take place in the final trimester of 2017 in Nicosia and the countries have agreed to continue meeting on a biannual basis. With development on EastMed pipeline underway as an outcome of a previous summit, there will certainly be precedent for this upcoming fourth meeting.
Hannah Sinrich studies in the College of Arts & Sciences. She can be reached at hsinrich@wustl.edu.