Από τις 26 Φεβρουαρίου μέχρι και την 1η Μαρτίου 2018, ο κ. Τορναρίτης παρευρέθηκε στο Λονδίνο, στα πλαίσια του 1ου Κοινοπολιτειακού Κοινοβουλευτικού Φόρουμ, εκπροσωπώντας τη Βουλή των Αντιπροσώπων.
Το Φόρουμ πραγματοποιήθηκε πριν τη Διάσκεψη Αρχηγών Κρατών της Κοινοπολιτείας (CHOGM), η οποία θα λάβει χώρα τον Απρίλιο του 2018 στο Λονδίνο. Στο Φόρουμ συμμετείχαν πάνω από 70 βουλευτές από περισσότερες από 25 χώρες μέλη της Κοινοπολιτείας και στόχος του ήταν να εξετάσει τα θέματα, στα οποία θα επικεντρωθεί η επικείμενη CHOGM.
Στο πλαίσιο των εργασιών του Φόρουμ εξετάστηκαν, μεταξύ άλλων, θέματα που άπτονται της κοινοβουλευτικής εξουσίας, όπως ο ρόλος των Κοινοβουλίων για πιο αποτελεσματικό έλεγχο της εκτελεστικής εξουσίας, οι στόχοι αειφόρου ανάπτυξης, η χρηματοδότηση αναπτυξιακών έργων, η παγκόσμια υγεία, η κλιματική αλλαγή, η προώθηση μιας ανοικτής, μοντέρνας και χωρίς αποκλεισμούς δημοκρατίας, καθώς και η παράνομη διακίνηση ατόμων και η εκμετάλλευση παιδιών.
Κατά τη διάρκεια του Φόρουμ, ο κ. Τορναρίτης είχε επαφές με Βρετανούς πολιτικούς αξιωματούχους καθώς και με κοινοβουλευτικές αντιπροσωπίες άλλων χωρών μελών της Κοινοπολιτείας. Είχε, επίσης, την ευκαιρία να ενημερώσει τους παρευρισκόμενους για τις πρόσφατες προκλήσεις της Τουρκίας στην Αποκλειστική Οικονομική Ζώνη της Κυπριακής Δημοκρατίας, συμπεριλαμβανομένης και της παρεμπόδισης του γεωτρύπανου της ιταλικής εταιρείας ΕΝΙ από τουρκικά πολεμικά πλοία.
Ακολουθούν πιο κάτω τα σχετικά δελτία τύπου καθώς και το κείμενο της παρέμβασης του κ. Τορναρίτη:
1st COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARIANS’ FORUM
Session 11: Preventing conflict & sustaining peace across the Commonwealth
Wednesday, 28 February 2018
Esteemed Chairperson,
Dear colleagues,
Cyprus attaches great importance to its energy potential. The discovery of hydrocarbons in Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) has created new and exciting prospects for Cyprus to become an energy hub in the Eastern Mediterranean and contribute to energy security. Prospects in the energy sector are all the more promising thanks to the island’s geostrategic location, connecting Europe with markets in the Middle East and Asia and its role as a pole of stability and security in the region of the Eastern Mediterranean, to which end Cyprus has established cooperation with neighboring countries.
In this respect, I would like to express my grave concern vis-à-vis the recent illegal and provocative undertakings of Turkey within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and Continental Shelf (CS) of the Republic of Cyprus.
Turkish warships have been physically obstructing a drilling platform belonging to the Italian energy company ENI from reaching its planned drilling area, situated within exploration Block 3 of Cyprus’ EEZ and CS. This obstruction is fully in line with Turkey’s unlawful military presence in Cyprus’ maritime zone and in blatant violation of international law, aiming to prevent the Republic of Cyprus from exercising its sovereign rights over its natural resources.
Turkey’s conduct of military exercises with live ammunition within Cyprus’ maritime zone, national airspace and the Nicosia FIR, not least in the vicinity of Cyprus’ coastline, not only creates a climate of intimidation for the companies that operate in full accordance with international law in Cyprus’ EEZ and CS, but also clearly results in sustaining a climate of mistrust. It also further complicates any future prospects of a settlement of the Cyprus problem based on relevant UN resolutions and the acquis communautaire, an integral part of which has been, for some time now, the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Evidently, the incident, which is not the first of its kind by our neighbouring country, constitutes an escalation of Turkey’s military presence in the Eastern Mediterranean that concerns not only Cyprus, but also the European Union and the international community at large. This illegal Turkish activity is yet another proof that Turkey permanently undermines security and stability in the already fragile Eastern Mediterranean region and turns against policies related to the diversification of energy supply sources and energy security.
Both the international community and EU member countries, have expressed their support to the Republic of Cyprus, which is both a Commonwealth and an EU member state, by condemning Turkey’s actions and declaring their support to the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus. The aim is to exercise influence towards Turkey, to refrain from its illegal activities, to abide by international law and EU norms and principles and urging it to respect the inalienable sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus to utilize its EEZ. Moreover, Turkey must understand that its actions are not compatible with efforts to reach a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem through peaceful negotiations.
In view of the upcoming CHOGM we are also in anticipation of the Commonwealth’s response. In essence, the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus is being continuously violated so, I would be very interested in hearing your thoughts and opinions, in connection with the main CHOGM topics, of sustainability, fairness and security, which are very relevant in this direction.
Thank you.