The President of the
Republic of Cyprus
was
the Keynote speaker yesterday at the formal dinner of the
"3rd Cyprus Energy
Symposium”, organized by the Institute of Energy for SE Europe (IENE), in
co-operation with the Cyprus-based media company FMW - Financial Media Way. The
Symposium is taking place on March 27 -28, 2014, in Nicosia under the auspices
of the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and
Industry (CCCI) and is focusing on "The Role of Cyprus in the New European
Energy Strategy”.
President
Anastasiadis stressed that
both the
construction of the onshore gas liquefaction terminal in Cyprus and the
promotion of a new gas corridor from the southeastern Mediterranean to the European
Union, are at the top of his government’s energy priorities. As he added, if the pipeline
to Greece is viable, "for us would be the preferred option."
He
also referred
to the completion of the process of
setting up and staffing of the two majorbodies of energy, Cyprus
Hydrocarbons Company(ETYK) and Natural Gas Public Company (DEFA) "by
choosing, admittedly, personalities of long experience and
knowledge who excelled in their field, "as he said.
According to
Mr Anastasiadis, the existence
of
commerciallyexploitable hydrocarbon reserves
in the Exclusive EconomicZone of Cyprus and the wider energy plans
forits establishment as a transit hubfor energy products, are expected
to make Cyprus a regional energy hub.
Referring to the Cyprus problem, t
he President of the Republic of
Cyprus
said that "our
vision is that the establishment of peace and prosperity for all the peoples of
the region and especially for the people of Cyprus will become a reality.
The
hydrocarbons can be the catalyst for solving the Cyprus problem.
In
a federation , both communities will have a right to natural wealth of the
country .
Hydrocarbons
and their utilization can become a factor of stability for the benefit of the
Eastern Mediterranean and Cyprus can play a role in this.
The
solution of the Cyprus problem will maximize the benefits which may arise ".
From his part, the Chairman of
IENE Mr. John Chatzivassiliadis stressed that sustainable energy systems should
be developed in European countries , aiming at zero carbon emissions.
The
development of renewable energy , international electrical interconnections and
further expansion of the network , are of particular importance for a
sustainable and competitive market .
Cyprus,
along with the development of gas
deposits, should invest in a balanced market, whereas, in compliance with RES European Directives, it should prioritize
electrical connections with Greece and with Israel so as to exceed its energy
isolation.
Mr.
Chatzivassiliadis also referred to the absence of both the electrical interface
between Crete and mainland Greece as well as of the islands with the rest of
the mainland.
Within
this context, he referred to a study prepared by IENE on electrical
interconnections in Greece and to the proposal of creating a regional natural gas
price hub.
The
CEO of
FMW -
Financial Media Way
, Mr. Joseph Joseph, President of the CCCI, Mr.
Phidias Pilides and the
Managing Director of KPMG, Μ
r. Andreas
K. Christofides, also adressed the Symposium.
Ministers from the
governments of Cyprus and Greece, representatives from public and private
companies and organizations from the above countries, officials of regional and
international organizations, academics and professionals from the energy field
are expected to attend and speak today at the "3rd Cyprus
Energy Symposium”. In total, more than 25 speakers and panellists are expected
to participate and cover a wide range of topics on energy resources and
applications.
The Symposium’s sponsors
include the Public Gas Corporation of Greece (DEPA) and Finland’s Wärtsilä,a power generation solutions provider for marine and energy markets. The events
supporters include the Energy Regulator of Cyprus (RAEK), the Electricity
Authority of Cyprus and the J& P and Marsh companies. Cyprus Airways are
the Symposium’s official airline, while the event’s media partners include the
daily "Philelephtheros” and the "Cyprus Weekly” newspapers, Antenna
CyprusTV Channel, as well as the sites
www.energia.gr
and
www.nomisma.com.cy
.