10007 - EEZ as a bargaining chip

N. Lygeros
Translated from the Greek by Evi Charitidou

One of the main advantages of the Greek Exclusive Economic Zone, especially after having it proclaimed, is that it constitutes a bargaining chip. The Greek EEZ is not simply a huge maritime area it also means huge hydrocarbon deposits, which follow in a geological series those of Israel (especially Leviathan and Tamar deposits) and of Cyprus (Aphrodite deposit). This probability, since required drilling has not yet taken place, already changes the given at geopolitical level by offering an extremely positive context to the Greek government at a time when it fights to change the economic state of our country and is involved in talks with other countries. EEZ is a powerful asset vis-à-vis Germany constantly asking for proof on our economic prospects. EEZ exerts a pressure similar to the one regarding German compensations, in a different way, of course, but also one capable of being strategically combined. For France conducting surveys in Eastern Mediterranean as early as 1911 and especially in Southern of Crete since 1978, the Greek EEZ is a palpable reality. There is no need to prove EEZ’s value to France; we simply have to convince her in practice that we are going to proclaim it very soon and activate it immediately. It is in this field that we must take dynamic action. Norway possessing broad expertise on hydrocarbon domain and playing a significant role in the Arctic issue also may easily place itself in an alliance framework of seismic surveys as this has already taken place in Cyprus as well, while nobody believed in it. In other words, instead of focusing on and getting entrapped in the issue of Turkish reactions, it would be more preferable to activate a stable alliance framework in the European Union being so much in need of energy, and in the Eastern Mediterranean with Cyprus and Israel so that the energy axis will be as soon as possible materialized by the Interconnector Eurasia, by CNG and LNG transporting, but also by the future gas pipeline, of course. This entire action field means true growth able not only to liberate us from the current economic state, but also to convince our allies that they may and should reckon us not only as an energy hub but also as a geopolitical player able to support the European Union’s strategy with its energy. If this becomes additionally understood by the Greek people then they will start seeing things in a totally different way and our children may have a future in their own country without any discount in their lives. This is our goal for our Greece.