Continents

A new US law geared toward boosting energy and security cooperation in the east Mediterranean is indicative of the significance that Washington attaches to the region, Cyprus' foreign minister said Saturday.

Turkey's parliament approved a security and military deal with Libya's UN-supported government Saturday  on the heels of a controversial maritime agreement earlier this month that has drawn international ire.

The deal allows Turkey to provide military training and equipment at the request of the Libyan government that controls the capital, Tripoli, and some of the country's west.

The Turkish parliament on Dec. 21 ratified a motion on the approval of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on security and military cooperation with Libya.

On Nov. 27, Ankara and Tripoli signed two separate MoUs; one on military cooperation and the other on maritime boundaries of countries in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Foreign remarks on Turkey's recent maritime deal with the U.N.-recognized government of Libya will not prevent the Turkish government from pursuing its own agenda in the Eastern Mediterranean, the country's communications director said on Dec. 21.

The European Union's approved framework for sanctions after Turkey's maritime pact with Libya is "null and void" for the country, the Turkish vice president said late on Dec. 20. 

Turkey sees a glimmer of hope in reviving its stalled accession process to the European Union in 2020 in the context of the new leadership taking the helm of key European institutions and with expectations of the accelerated reform process by the government.

The president of Cyprus said Friday that he's in touch with the leaders of Egypt, Israel, Greece and Lebanon to formulate joint diplomatic action aimed at countering a Turkey-Libya maritime border deal that they say flouts international law and ratchets up regional tensions.

Bulgarians are among Europeans with the highest trust the EU, a Eurobarometer survey shows. 60% of Bulgarians have trust in the EU and 25% do not. Before Bulgaria regarding this indicator are only Lithuanians at 66% and Danes at 63%. The lowest trust in the EU is in the UK at 29%, with an EU average of 43%, BNR reported.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) provided Turkey's electricity company Enerjisa Enerji with a financing package worth $100 million in Turkish lira equivalent, the bank announced late on Dec. 19.

The activation by Libya's Tripoli-based government of a deal with Turkey that foresees military assistance by Ankara has placed major powers, not least Washington, on edge regarding its regional ramifications. 

In a statement, the US State Department urged all countries to "refrain from exacerbating civil conflict."