US-BACKED EAST MED ALLIANCE MAY BYPASS TURKEY

epa03010742 epa03010733 An aerial view from a helicopter of the Homer Ferrington rig operated by Noble Energy in the east Mediterranean, drilling in an offshore block on concession from the Cypriot government, 21 November 2011. Houston-based Noble started drilling for gas off Cyprus in September, in the island's first attempt to tap speculated offshore hydrocarbons deposits. Cypriot President Demetris Christofias visited the rig, which started drilling for gas on 21 November. EPA/STR EPA/STR

Source: Ahvalnews

By Nikos Georgiades

The United States is fostering efforts by Greece, Cyprus and Israel to form an eastern Mediterranean security alliance as Washington’s NATO ally Turkey flirts with Russia and Iran, and confronts U.S. policy in Syria.

Alongside security agreements, the United States is looking to set up an energy corridor to transfer newly discovered gas reserves in the region to Europe, undermining Russia’s dominance as energy supplier to the European market and curtailing Iranian ambitions to use Syria as a gateway to the Mediterranean.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last month called the region “an important strategic frontier” and said Washington was working to strengthen relations with “democratic allies there, like Greece and Cyprus and Israel”.

Read more at: https://ahvalnews-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/ahvalnews.com/node/37568?amp

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