FES Cyprus Podcast - Beyond the Divide Hubert Faustmann

A Call for a Collaborative Humanitarian Assistance Agenda Amidst Current Migration Crises in the Eastern Mediterranean

Welcome to "Navigating Waters," where we explore the vital intersection of policy and cooperation in addressing Mediterranean water challenges. In this episode, we focus on two key policy briefs: "From Crisis to Cooperation: Addressing Mediterranean Water Governance Through Coordinated Action" and "Key Water Challenges in the Eastern Mediterranean: A Call for Regional Cooperation."

The Mediterranean region is grappling with a water crisis that underscores the need for effective governance. Join us as we delve into the impact of governance on sustainability and security, emphasizing the call for a comprehensive intra-regional water governance framework.

In the Eastern Mediterranean, countries face diverse water-related challenges, from insufficient supplies to demographic shifts. This policy brief highlights these issues and examines how effective water management can foster regional collaboration.

Join us as we navigate the waters of policy, cooperation, and sustainable solutions, exploring the intricacies of locally adapted policies and multi-level governance. Discover the collaborative efforts needed for a resilient and water-secure future in the Mediterranean region.

Emine Eminel Sülün delves into the political dynamics surrounding crucial Eastern Mediterranean interconnector projects. It highlights the importance of initiatives like the EuroAsia and EuroAfrica Interconnector in ensuring a secure and sustainable electricity supply for the region.

These projects are particularly addressing the isolation of Cyprus' and Israel's electricity grids. While they serve energy security purposes, the paper suggests that these interconnectors should be part of a larger vision for an interconnected Mediterranean power system, promoting a low-carbon regional energy framework beyond geopolitical faultiness.

Emine Eminel Sülün shares an overview of the current state of grid integration throughout the Mediterranean area, examines several proposed interconnectivity projects, and concludes by proposing guidelines to enhance interconnectivity. The current state of interconnectivity and the future projects are reviewed within the broader vision of an interconnected Mediterranean power system that would foster a low-carbon regional energy framework in the future.

Despite the absence of a shared vision for a unified Mediterranean energy market, the framework of climate change and energy transition can serve as a catalyst for forging a common perspective. However, an overarching question remains: How can the existing infrastructure and proposed projects successfully achieve a comprehensive, integrated power grid spanning the entire region when geopolitical concerns dominate the region?

In this edition of the "FES Cyprus Podcast - Beyond the Divide," Professor Hubert Faustmann, the director of the office, is joined by Professor Ahmet Sözen from Diplomeds and Laury Haytayan, the Director of the Middle East and North Africa Department at the Natural Resource Governance Institute. They delve into a discussion regarding the exploration of natural gas reserves in Cyprus, which has opened up new opportunities for cooperation in the conflict. Sözen proposes fresh perspectives and policy recommendations to break the current deadlock. Moreover, Haytayan explains how the agreement between Israel and Lebanon was achieved and addresses the question of whether it could serve as a model to foster cooperation, inclusivity, and ultimately peace in the region, with a specific focus on Cyprus.

The episode is partially based on a chapter authored by Prof. Sözen in a Diplomeds policy study titled "Conflict Resolution in the Mediterranean: Energy as a Potential Game-Changer". The study explores the energy-related aspects of major conflicts in the Mediterranean, specifically focusing on Cyprus, Israel-Lebanon, and Morocco-Algeria. Find the whole report under the following link: https://library.fes.de/pdf-files/bueros/zypern/20302.pdf.

In this episode of “FES Cyprus Podcast – Beyond the Divide”, the director of the office, Prof. Hubert Faustmann hosts Vasiliki Triga, Assoc. Prof. of the Department of Communication and Internet Studies at the Cyprus University of Technology. They analyse Presidential Elections in the Republic of Cyprus in February 2023. The conversation also touches upon the main topics of the campaign such as corruption, inflation, immigration, gender equality and the Cyprus Problem.