Page 8 - ARUBA TODAY

A8 WORLD NEWS
Friday 28 June 2019
Greece inks undersea gas deals despite environmental warning

By NICHOLAS PAPHITIS mental safeguards.
Associated Press "Greece is making a deter-
ATHENS, Greece (AP) mined move to exploit its
— Financially-struggling mineral wealth," Tsipras said
Greece signed contracts at the ceremony in Athens,
on Thursday for offshore gas saying the deal would help
exploration in large tracts an economy battered by a
of the Mediterranean, de- decade-long financial crisis
spite warnings from envi- that resulted in three inter-
ronmental groups that the national bailouts — the last
project threatens marine signed in 2015.
life habitats. "Four years ago this was
The deal will allow a consor- a country on the brink of
tium of energy companies bankruptcy," Tsipras said.
Total and ExxonMobil with "Now it aims to attain en-
Greece's Hellenic Petro- ergy self-sufficiency, or at
leum to explore two areas least to cover part of its re-
that are together about the quirements."
size of Switzerland - 40,000 He said the exploration
square kilometers (15,000 would start next year, last
sq. miles) - south and south- eight years with an option
west of the island of Crete. for extension, and should
It's the latest and by far Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras arrives for an EU summit at the Europa building in Brussels, provide "a clear picture"
biggest in a series of con- Thursday, June 20, 2019. of potential deposits in 2-4
cessions for oil and gas ex- Associated Press years. Greece stands to
ploration in the west of the receive just 8 million euros
country. ed by warships, in waters preme court to block the invest in renewable energy from the concessions, but
Fears of confrontation with where Cyprus has exclusive Crete project. They say to help fight global warm- also revenues and taxes
neighboring Turkey over en- economic rights, and has prospecting in deep wa- ing. from any profits.
ergy extraction rights have threatened to make similar ters off the southern island Left-wing Prime Minister WWF Greece marine of-
precluded similar deals in moves further west. will threaten endangered Alexis Tsipras hailed Thurs- ficer Dimitris Ibrahim told
the Aegean Sea and east Greenpeace and the World whales, dolphins and other day's signing as a boon to The Associated Press that
of Crete. Turkey currently Wide Fund for Nature have marine life, and argue that the economy and prom- the signing marked a "dark
has a drilling ship, escort- appealed to Greece's su- Greece would do better to ised "the strictest" environ- day" for the country.q

Putin sees common aims, pushing Trump on arms pact at G-20

Associated Press ald if we happen to meet
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian in Osaka," Putin said. "We
President Vladimir Putin said that we are ready to
says he does not expect extend this treaty between
any breakthroughs at the the United States and Rus-
Group of 20 summit in Ja- sia, but we have not seen
pan starting Friday but any relevant initiative from
hopes G-20 leaders find a our American partners."
common understanding of The Russian president pre-
what's needed to bolster viewed what he might ar-
economies and financial gue to give the issue urgen-
institutions. cy and get some move-
Putin told the Financial ment from the U.S.
Times newspaper in an in- "They keep silent while the
terview released Thursday treaty expires in 2021," Pu-
he wants leaders at the tin said. "If we do not begin
summit "to reaffirm their in- talks now, it would be over
tention - at least an inten- because there would be no
tion" to establish rules "ev- time even for formalities." In
eryone would follow" and the Financial Times inter-
to have the same com- view, Putin shed little light
mitment "to strengthening on his relationship with the
international financial and U.S. leader, which gained
trade institutions." notice partly because of
The Russia leader and U.S. Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a reception for graduates of Russian military edu- Trump's of complimentary
President Donald Trump cation institutions in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on Thursday, June 27, 2019. remarks about Putin.
are set to meet on the G-20 Associated Press Trump's apparent willing-
summit's sidelines, where ness to accept Putin's de-
Putin said he plans to push tion to withdraw from a violated the 1987 Interme- new missile system. nials of Russia interference
Trump for an extension of Cold War-era nuclear mis- diate-Range Nuclear Forc- Since then, Russia has fo- in the 2016 U.S. presiden-
the 2010 New START nucle- sile treaty with Russia is re- es Treaty, which is set to cused its arms-control ef- tial election also has put
ar arms reduction treaty. garded as a cornerstone of end in August under Wash- forts on New START. the dynamic between the
The United States gave European nuclear security. ington's six-month notice "I hope that I will be able two leaders under close
notice this year of its inten- The U.S. alleges Russia has unless Moscow destroys a to talk about it with Don- scrutiny.q