Thank you for your correspondence of 23 July, concerning matters of energy exploration issues in the Mediterranean, raised by Cllr Stephanos Ioannou, Chairman of Conservative Friends of Greece.
Regarding events in the waters around the region, the UK has been clear from the start, in both public and private, that we deplore Turkish drilling. We have said this to Turkey at both Ministerial and official level.
Following Turkey’s seismic exploration announcement (July 21) an FCO spokesperson said: “We urge all our partners in the Eastern Mediterranean to prioritise opportunities for dialogue and pursue de-escalation. The UK has spoken to all parties in these terms recently and will continue to do so. The UK remains committed to working with our international partners in the Eastern Mediterranean to achieve stability and prosperity.”
We have raised previously and will continue to raise with partners in the region the need to reduce tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean through dialogue. The UK remains invested in supporting its partners in the Eastern Mediterranean to achieve stability and prosperity.
Wendy Morton MP Minister for the European Neighbourhood and the Americas