Washington believes the development of energy resources in the eastern Mediterranean is "very promising," while Exxon Mobil began exploratory exploration off the coast of southwest Cyprus despite Turkey's opposition, a State Department official said.
Francis Vanun, assistant secretary of state for energy affairs, said Washington sees potential gas deposits in the eastern Mediterranean as a catalyst for regional cooperation and economic development.
The United States will continue to push energy development in the region as a priority, reiterating support for Cyprus's private exploration of hydrocarbons, he said.
Turkey strongly opposes exploratory exploration off Cyprus because it claims to exercise its own rights and the rights of Turkish Cypriots in the natural resources of the ethnically divided island.
The US official arrived in Cyprus on Friday for a three-nation visit, including Egypt and Israel.A
