There is an interest from several countries in order to expand the trilateral cooperation schemes which Cyprus and Greece have established with countries of the region, newly appointed Secretary-General of the Permanent Secretariat for the Tripartite Cooperation Mechanisms with countries in the region, Alexandros Zenon, has told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), adding that trilateral cooperation schemes have reinforced the political and diplomatic potential of Cyprus.
In an interview with CNA, on the occasion of the operation in Nicosia of the Permanent Secretariat, Zenon said that its role and responsibility of the Permanent Secretariat will be to monitor the implementation of the decisions taken in trilateral meetings, either by the Heads of State and Government or by Ministers.
He noted that the Permanent Secretariat will facilitate the implementation of the decisions, will make suggestions on the substance of the various activities, will find sources of funding for various activities being decided and will make suggestions for the ad hoc participation of other countries in trilateral schemes, adding that there is an interest as regards this
Expanding trilateral schemes
Asked about the potentials regarding the expansion of the trilateral cooperation schemes, with the participation of other countries, and if steps are being taken towards this direction, Zenon said that the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have expressed interest in forging trilateral cooperation schemes with Cyprus and Greece.
He added that in the past interest was also expressed from a specific side for a trilateral schemed to become quadrilateral but no progress was made on that for various reasons that were not due to Cyprus or Greece.
He recalled that there is a 3+1 scheme (Cyprus, Greece, Israel and the US) for specific issues, and noted that there is an interest from France as well to have a 3+1 scheme with Egypt (Cyprus, Greece, Egypt + France).
Depending on the sectors of the activities and the thematic areas of interest we cannot rule out to have interest from other countries as well, either of the region, or even beyond our geographical area. Therefore, these will be ad hoc cooperation schemes on concrete issues, he added.
He noted that this is something which the Secretariat is able to look into, based on its mandate, and propose to the Ministers or the Heals of State and Government the participation of another state on an ad hoc basis.
Zenon also said that the Permanent Secretariat is not an institution which is under the Government of the Republic of Cyprus.
“It is a supranational institution, with the sense that it receives instructions and is accountable to the leaders of each of the trilateral cooperation schemes. Therefore it has an international, interstate, regional character,” he added.
Zenon said that the Permanent Secretariat will be based in Nicosia, will consist, for at least three years, as provided in the Council of Ministers decision, by Cypriot staff and that later on they will look, in consultation with other partners of the trilateral schemes, into the rotation of its Secretary-General.
Moreover, Zenon said that three scientific partners have been employed and are working for quite a long time now preparing documents and notes, while the process to set up the necessary infrastructure is underway.
He added that there will also be a posting of secretarial staff and a messenger from other public services, and later on they will evaluate if there is need for more staff.
Zenon said that there are liaison committees of the Secretariat with the participating countries and that one representativeof each participating country (Cyprus, Greece, Egypt, Jordan and Israel) has already been appointed.
Moreover, he said that the Cypriot Foreign Ministry will soon conclude the process regarding the offices that will be rented to accommodate the Permanent Secretariat.
Pillars on which the Secretariat operates
Asked about the pillars on which the Permanent Secretariat operates and how it will support decision makingby the participating states, Zenon noted that based on the Council of Ministers decision, that was the result of deliberations of the Cyprus government and the governments of the other participating states, the role of the Secretariat will be to support trilateral cooperation schemes as regards the organisation of meetings, adding that, however, the hosting country will have the main say on this.
He also noted that the Secretariat will contribute whenever it is asked to do so, adding that its role will be to monitor the implementation of the decisions taken during the meetings, either by the Heads of State and Government or by Ministers.
Our ambition is for it to evolve into a structure or a hub of regional cooperation, he said.
As he noted the Secretariat was set up due to the need to have an institution. “We have the experience, we have seen the weaknesses, we have seen the potentials and on the basis of this experience the Secretariat was set up to be able to institutionalize the cooperation, to urge national coordinators in each country, and also to submit suggestions to the Ministers and the Heads of State and Government,” hesaid.
Zenon noted that all this should take place in coordination with each participating country so that Ministers of the Heads of State and Government will be able to decide on a proposal presented before them.
Fields of cooperation
Invited to say which are the main fields of cooperation of these trilateral cooperation schemes, Zenon recalled that the first trilateral scheme was created back in 2013 with Egypt at the initiative of Ioannis Kasoulides who was also then the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus.
He noted that the idea then was to help Egypt counter the problems it was then facing as terrorism, financial problems, and diplomatic isolation.
Following that we proceeded with the other schemes with Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine, he added.
He noted that the issue of energy has been one on which the trilateral cooperation schemes with Israel and Egypt especially have focused. Each trilateral has also its own characteristics, its own implementation pace, and its own thematic aspects, he added.
Zenon said that the issues on the agenda of the trilateral scheme with Israel concern security, defence, combating terrorism and asymmetric threats, search and rescue, energy and tourism, the environment, diaspora, start-ups and meteorology.
In the trilateral with Jordan the issues addressed concern the combating of terrorism and asymmetric threats, tourism, cultural heritage protection, agriculture and health, he added.
As regards the trilateral with Egypt he said that cooperation focuses on agriculture, tourism and cultural heritage.
“For the time being we proceed with the sectors in which cooperation is underway,” he said, noting that one of the Secretariat’s competencies is to look for new fields of cooperation in consultation with participating states.
Energy issue
Asked about the importance of the Permanent Secretariat’s operation as regards the Energy issue in the Eastern Mediterranean region, Zenon said that this is a big issue which does not concern the Secretariat’s competencies.
He added, however, that given the Ukrainian crisis, surely the EastMed project and other pipelines could move on, through the trilateral cooperation mechanisms which Cyprus and Greece have established.
“My view is that this is an issue which mainly concerns the companies. Because no country has by itself the economic and technical potential to extract and exploit gas and oil. Therefore, politically I believe that the issue must be discussed and be put forward again by the governments of Israel, Egypt, Cyprus and Greece,” he added.
Cyprus problem – Turkey
Asked about the ways in which the Secretariat and the further support of the trilateral cooperation schemes can help Cyprus in achieving its well-meant interests and its goals to solve its political problem and address the illegal actions by Turkey both on the ground and at sea, Zenon said that the trilateral cooperation schemes are not by any means military ones and are not against anyone.
“They have been set up to promote peace, cooperation, prosperity and progress in the region. No one is excluded, Turkey is not excluded, as long as it accepts the basic principles of international law, the equal participation of states, and recognises all participating states,” he noted.
Moreover, Zenon underlined that the trilateral cooperation schemes have indirectly enhanced the political and diplomatic potential of Cyprus.
He said that the countries which participate in them have problems with Turkey, and this is just another reason for Turkey to accept the principles on which these schemes operate and solve its problems through them and other procedures as well.
“We want a Turkey that is democratic and maintains good neighbourly relations, that will act according to the international law,” he added.
Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory.
Source: Cyprus News Agency