Cyprus and Lebanon on 26 November signed a landmark maritime-demarcation agreement that finally ratifies the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) boundary the two countries first sketched out in 2007. Presidents Nikos Christodoulides and Joseph Aoun inked the deal at Baabda Palace in Beirut, calling it a ‘historic step’ that unlocks joint offshore-energy exploration and lays the groundwork for future electricity-interconnector projects.
The 2007 accord stalled for nearly two decades amid political instability in Lebanon and overlapping disputes involving Israel and Syria. Its revival comes as Beirut races to attract foreign investment to rebuild an economy battered by the 2019 financial collapse. Cyprus, meanwhile, sees the EEZ clarification as a boost to its aspirations to become an East-Med energy hub and to strengthen regional ties beyond the EU.
![Cyprus and Lebanon Finalise Exclusive-Economic-Zone Boundary After 18-Year Hiatus]()
For global-mobility stakeholders, a formalised boundary brings legal certainty to project personnel, marine contractors and expatriate staff who could be deployed to exploratory drilling rigs or subsea-cable missions. Immigration lawyers note that visas for technical specialists moving between the two countries should now encounter fewer procedural hurdles, as both governments have pledged to streamline permits linked to energy projects.
Cyprus also hopes the agreement will support its bid to join the EU’s proposed ‘Energy & Raw Materials Corridor’ linking the Middle East to continental Europe. If realised, this would increase the flow of engineers, project managers and maritime-service crews through Cypriot ports and airports, reinforcing the island’s role as a staging post for multinational firms.
The 2007 accord stalled for nearly two decades amid political instability in Lebanon and overlapping disputes involving Israel and Syria. Its revival comes as Beirut races to attract foreign investment to rebuild an economy battered by the 2019 financial collapse. Cyprus, meanwhile, sees the EEZ clarification as a boost to its aspirations to become an East-Med energy hub and to strengthen regional ties beyond the EU.
For global-mobility stakeholders, a formalised boundary brings legal certainty to project personnel, marine contractors and expatriate staff who could be deployed to exploratory drilling rigs or subsea-cable missions. Immigration lawyers note that visas for technical specialists moving between the two countries should now encounter fewer procedural hurdles, as both governments have pledged to streamline permits linked to energy projects.
Cyprus also hopes the agreement will support its bid to join the EU’s proposed ‘Energy & Raw Materials Corridor’ linking the Middle East to continental Europe. If realised, this would increase the flow of engineers, project managers and maritime-service crews through Cypriot ports and airports, reinforcing the island’s role as a staging post for multinational firms.
