Russia ready to assist in establishing neighborly relations between Cyprus, Turkey if asked to do so - Lavrov
MOSCOW. Sept 7 (Interfax) - Moscow is ready to assist in establishing neighborly relations between Cyprus and Turkey if both sides wish so, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.
"We are prepared to assist in building neighborly relations between the Republic of Cyprus and the Turkish Republic but, naturally, that can happen only if both sides show interest and ask us to do so," Lavrov said in an interview with the Greek Cypriot newspaper Phileleftheros.
Russia has expressed concern about "regular crises" in the Eastern Mediterranean numerous times, Lavrov said.
"We deem any actions fraught with further growth of the conflict potential to be inadmissible. We have repeatedly urged the leaderships of regional countries to demonstrate political farsightedness and to settle disputes with exclusively peaceful methods and within the legal framework," he said.
Moscow believes that "both Nicosia and Ankara demonstrate the political will to prevent further destabilization of the regional situation," Lavrov said. "Besides, there is a universal platform for the efficient resolution of disputable issues, the United Nations Organization," he said.
"As for our relations with Turkey, I'd like to reassure Cypriot friends yet again that the deepening of Russian-Turkish cooperation and the need for interaction with Ankara in regional affairs does not have and will have absolutely no effect on our dialogue with Nicosia," Lavrov said.
Tensions have grown in the Eastern Mediterranean in recent days following the intensified geological prospecting carried out by Ankara in that area.
The oil and gas prospecting activity of Turkey is unfolding in the waters, which Greece deems to be its exclusive economic zone.
Tensions started to grow in August when Ankara sent the Oruc Reis research vessel accompanied by military ships to international waters in the vicinity of the Greek island of Kastellorizo. In turn, Greece deployed its military ships tasked with monitoring Turkish actions.
Ankara also sent oil and gas prospecting ships to waters where Cyprus had allowed companies from the United States, France and Italy to produce gas saying that those waters belonged to its exclusive economic zone.
