Cyprus, Greece and Egypt inaugurated a new period of cooperation on Saturday, by signing the Cairo Declaration, which includes strong references for the Cyprus issue and the Turkish provocations in Cyprus` Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). President of Egypt Abdel Fattah Al Sisi, who hosted the Tripartite Meeting on Saturday, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras stressed that their meeting constitutes the beginning of the cooperation between the three countries, which aims at the prosperity of their peoples and the stability in the region. The Cairo Declaration includes strong references regarding the termination of Turkish challenges in Cyprus` EEZ, the Cyprus issue as well as the speeding up of the negotiations among the countries which have not yet determined EEZ. "We have stressed the importance of the respect of the sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus in its EEZ and we urged Turkey to terminate all seismic exploration within the maritime zones of Cyprus and to avoid similar activities in the future", it is pointed out. As regards the Cyprus issue, the three countries ask for a `just, comprehensive and long lasting settlement which will reunify the island according to international law, including the relevant UNSC resolutions`. The Declaration stresses that the discovery of hydrocarbon reserves in the Eastern Mediterranean can work as a catalyst for regional cooperation. "To this direction, we place emphasis on the ecumenical character of the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea and we have decided to speed up the negotiations for the delimitation of maritime zones, where this has not been defined yet", it adds. The Declaration stresses the determination for the continuation of the struggle of the Egyptian people for democracy and prosperity through the implementation of a road map, including the parliamentary elections, which will mark the culmination of the democratic procedure, which is already demonstrated in the adoption of a new constitution and the presidential elections. Source : incyprus.philenews
