Mike Pompeo likely to join Greece-Cyprus-Israel summit, says US envoy

A day after energy giant ExxonMobil announced it had discovered a natural gas reservoir in Cyprus's Block 10, US Ambassador to Greece Geoffrey Pyatt said US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is likely to participate in the next trilateral summit between Greece, Cyprus and Israel which will be held in March in Israel.

During a conversation with Kathimerini English Edition editor in chief, Tom Ellis, at the Delphi Economic Forum, Pyatt confirmed that talks are underway to include Pompeo in the meeting.

The participation of the US's top diplomat in the summit would send a strong signal of support for the cooperation between the three countries and Egypt, but also for the need to develop wider synergies in the Mediterranean.

Pyatt said the last part of the Southern Gas Corridor will be completed thanks to the work initiated by a government of New Democracy and completed by government of SYRIZA, noting tthat Italy should be persuaded to move forward with its own section of the pipeline.

He welcomed Greece's strengthened role in the Balkans, noting that the Prespes accord is “the most obvious expression” of this development, which will restore Thessaloniki's historic role as a cosmopolitan crossroad in the Balkans.

Cypriot Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides welcomed Pompeo's decision to participate in the talks.

Speaking earlier to Kathimerini Cyprus, a senior government source in Nicosia said the trilateral summit will be held on March 20.

The same source said the discovery of gas in the Glaucus-1 well will increase US interest in Cyprus and its presence in the Eastern Mediterranean.