US, Greece call for peaceful resolution of maritime disputes in east Mediterranean

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (C,L) and Greek Minister for Development and Investment Adonis Georgiadis (C,R) share an elbow bump greeting during a signing agreement ceremony in the northern city of Thessaloniki, on Sept. 28, 2020. (AFP)

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, second right, is welcomed by US Ambassador to Greece Geoffrey Pyatt, second left, in the northern city of Thessaloniki, Greece on Sept. 28, 2020. (AP)

• US welcomed Greece’s readiness to seek maritime agreements with its neighbors
• Tensions escalated last month after Turkey entered into a disputed maritime area

ATHENS: The United States and Greece called on Monday for a peaceful resolution of maritime disputes in the east Mediterranean as US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo began a two-day trip to Greece amid increased regional tension over energy resources.
NATO allies Greece and Turkey, at loggerheads on a range of issues, have agreed to resume exploratory talks over contested maritime claims following weeks of tensions.
“The United States and Greece ... reaffirmed their belief that maritime delimitation issues should be resolved peacefully in accordance with international law,” the United States and Greece, also NATO allies, said in a joint statement after Pompeo met his Greek counterpart Nikos Dendias.
The United States also welcomed Greece’s readiness to seek maritime agreements with its neighbors in the region, they said after meeting in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki.
Tensions escalated last month after Turkey dispatched the Oruc Reis seismic survey vessel, escorted by gunboats, into a disputed area thought to be rich in energy resources, following a maritime agreement signed between Greece and Egypt.
Turkey has said the pact infringes on its own continental shelf. The agreement also overlaps with maritime zones Turkey agreed with Libya last year, decried as illegal by Greece.
Ankara recalled the Oruc Reis this month, saying it wished to give diplomacy a chance.
Pompeo said on Monday he hoped the exploratory talks, which are expected to resume soon, will also bring results.
“We hope the exploratory talks not only get kicked off right, but it’s important that they’re resolved in a way that delivers outcomes that each of the two nations find more than acceptable,” Pompeo told the Athens News Agency.
Pompeo has previously said the United States is “deeply concerned” about Turkish actions in the east Mediterranean.
ENERGY TIES
The United States also hopes to build up its energy ties with Greece, which seeks to become an energy hub in the Balkans and help Europe to diversify its energy resources.
Athens already imports large quantities of US liquefied natural gas (LNG). It is developing a floating LNG storage and regasification unit off the port of Alexandroupolis, which is expected to channel gas to Bulgaria via the Interconnector Greece — Bulgaria (IGB) pipeline and from there to central Europe by early 2023.
ExxonMobil, France’s Total and Greece’s Hellenic Petroleum have set up a joint venture that will look for gas and oil off the Greek island of Crete.
The United States has also expressed interest in the privatization of the ports of Alexandroupolis and Kavala in northern Greece.
Pompeo and Greek Development Minister Adonis Georgiadis also signed on Monday a science and technology agreement. The two countries want to collaborate on artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, 5G and privatization of strategic infrastructure, their joint statement said.
Pompeo arrived in Crete on Monday evening. He was due to stay at the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ residence and visit the Souda military base on Crete on Tuesday.