There is no doubt that the strengthening of relations between Cyprus and Lebanon through the signing of the agreement on the delimitation of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) between the two countries was a positive development. Any deal that puts relations with a neigbouring country on a sounder basis and opens the way for greater cooperation in the future must be welcomed.

President Nikos Christodoulides, who was in Lebanon for the signing of the agreement on Wednesday, illustrating his penchant for exaggeration, said this was “an important and historic occasion” and “a milestone of strategic importance, which seals, in the clearest way, the level of our relations.” It was left to his spokesman, Konstantinos Letymbiotis, to raise the perceived significance of the agreement the following day. The deal, he said, “proves the role the Republic of Cyprus plays in the new geopolitical reality… it is building alliances and upgrading its regional position.”

A Cyprus-Lebanon EEZ agreement was first signed in 2007 but it was never ratified by the Lebanese parliament. In the latest version of the agreement, ratification by the parliaments of the two countries is not necessary for it to come into force. This was the work of the President of Lebanon, Joseph Aoun, for whom the EEZ agreement is much more important than it is for Cyprus. Having also signed an EEZ agreement, mediated by the US, with Israel in 2022, Lebanon is now in a position to embark on sea exploration work. It is of much less importance to Cyprus which is a long way ahead of Lebanon in this regard, already has plenty of blocks to exploit and in two or three years might actually be selling natural gas.

There is nothing wrong with a deal that, in practical terms, would be more beneficial to Lebanon. Aoun, took a leaf out of Christodoulides book, speaking about “a foundation of an international cooperation that we wish to extend throughout our region in order to offer stability and prosperity to all our countries and peoples.” The lack of perspective seems to be contagious. An EEZ agreement between two countries will boost their relations but how this would lead to international cooperation is not so clear.

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In the case of Cyprus, the agreement has sparked Turkey’s hostility rather than any desire for cooperation in the region. Both the Turkish government and the newly-elected Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhurman criticized the agreement, because it “disregarded the legitimate rights and interests of the Turkish Cypriots.” An announcement by Turkey’s ministry of defence said that “southern Cyprus does not represent the Turkish Cypriots nor the entire island and does not have the authority to take actions that affect the whole of Cyprus.”  Erhurman said the agreement was “neither fair nor in favour of a solution.

As Turkey cannot stake a plausible claim on the sea between Cyprus and Lebanon it expressed concern about the “legitimate rights and interests” of the Turkish Cypriots. But what do Ankara and Erhurman expect the Cyprus government to do? Not to improve relations with neighbouring countries, until there is a settlement, or to consult the regime in the north before it does so? Turkey’s reaction, nevertheless, was welcomed by some in the Cyprus Republic, the reasoning being that if the agreement angered Ankara, it must be good for the Republic, which is the rather simplistic way in which we view international politics.

In response, President Christodoulides invited Turkey to come to the negotiating table and agree a delimitation of the EEZ with Cyprus, based on the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), fully aware that this will never happen. Turkey was not complaining about the EEZ agreement, as it had done for other such deals, but because the Turkish Cypriots had no say in the matter. Ankara had to say something, and we suspect the agreement, despite its “strategic importance” would be quickly forgotten as it is of little relevance to the future of the region.

It is a good deal for Lebanon, which could now start the long process of preparing its EEZ for exploration. And the Cyprus government should be satisfied that it has helped the neighbouring country, thanks to Wednesday’s agreement to pursue its energy plans.