Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the prospects of cooperation between the UK, Northern Cyprus, the Republic of Cyprus and Turkiye on the exploitation of hydrocarbons.

We support the Republic of Cyprus' sovereign right to exploit any oil and gas in its internationally-agreed Exclusive Economic Zone, and believe that Cyprus' hydrocarbon development should be for the benefit of all Cypriots. We oppose any drilling in Cypriot waters that is at odds with those sovereign rights. We believe the most enduring way of resolving any tensions related to the exploitation of hydrocarbons is to achieve a Cyprus settlement. We call on all parties to redouble their efforts in pursuit of this.