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President Demetris Christofias said efforts to locate possible hydrocarbons are going well, while visiting the “HOMER” drilling platform, where exploratory drilling is in progress.

Christofias said his presence on the platform underscores the Republic’s sovereign rights which, as he pointed out, “we are determined to exercise.”

After a briefing by Noble officials and a guided tour of the platform, the President said that the issue is of national importance and that is how everyone must address it.

He said an overall strategic plan on pending issues relating to natural gas being piped to land will be drafted.

“This is a very important issue. There are issues which will come up when gas reaches the land. A team of experts has been set up, a team of technocrats, and a strategic plan is being drafted which we will have to examine cautiously and discreetly,” he added.

He made Reference to the Turkish Cypriots and hoped that this effort will be successful and emphasized that “this also constitutes a challenge for Turkey to change its stance to solve the Cyprus problem the soonest possible and co-exploit the natural resources, in the framework of a bizonal, bicommunal federal Republic of Cyprus, a single state with a single sovereignty, a single citizenship and a single personality.”

Christofias said that cooperation and “agreements” the illegal Turkish Cypriot regime has signed with Turkey are illegal, pointing out that the Republic of Cyprus is acting within international law, “and that is what we are doing with Noble Energy and with anybody we cooperate with.

I therefore wish that Noble Energy will give us the best possible results the soonest possible.”

He also said that the second licensing round for hydrocarbons exploration will soon be announced and wished every success to this.

He added he visited the drilling rig to get a personal picture of the entire effort “because there is a lot of very serious work to do.''

''This is an effort which - if successful – it will ensure the future and prosperity of generations to come,''

During his visit to the platform, President Christofias was briefed in by Noble officials  the work being carried out.

President Christofias and his entourage visited the Control Room, the remote operating vehicle and the conference room.

There are 130 personnel working on the platform. They are Noble Drillings and Noble Energy employees.

He addressed the employees and expressed hope that their search for hydrocarbon reserves or “nature’s gift”, as he called it, brought results.

“I wish you all the best and I hope we will soon have concrete results”, he added.

The name of the platform “Homer” comes from Homer Ferrrington, who was one of the founders of the Noble Drillings company.

‘Noble Energy’ began drilling in Cyprus’ EEZ in September this year.

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