Rome, Sep 11 (UNI) Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has called for strong support for Greece and Cyprus as they are square off against Turkey in the eastern Mediterranean, adding that Rome has always done so and will keep on doing so.
Conte appealed to other European nations to extend support for Greece and Cyprus against Turkey's 'unilateral acts' "As for the situation in the eastern Mediterranean, we have addressed it being aware that regional tensions affect everyone and that it is our duty to do everything possible to resolve them … But the first step and the main prerequisite is to express strong support, not only ideological
but concrete, to our friends Greece and Cyprus facing the unilateral actions of Turkey. As Italy and a member of the European Union, we have always been doing it and we will continue to do so also in future,"
The Italian Prime Minister made these comments after the MED7 summit in Corsica. The summit is attended by seven Mediterranean EU members namely Greece, Italy, Cyprus, France, Malta, Portugal, and Spain it aims to work together towards common interests within the European Union
framework.
Tensions between Turkey and Greece escalated in the Eastern Mediterranean after Ankara began exploration drilling in the Greek-claimed waters in early August. Greece considers this area to be its exclusive economic zone and has mobilized its armed forces to high alert, vowing to protect its sovereign rights by all means.
At the same time, the Republic of Cyprus and Turkey have been engaged in a prolonged dispute over the offshore drilling rights since the discovery of the first gas deposits off the coast of the island in 2011, with Turkey rejecting the EEZ claims of Nicosia.
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