



Greece, Cyprus and Israel, preparing for the exploration of hydrocarbons in the Mediterranean Sea, on Tuesday signed an agreement for the protection of the environment from possible oil pollution.

Environment ministers from the three countries agreed to move ahead as soon as possible on the protection of the environment, with the aim of signing a deal by June, with emphasis given on coastal research and the extraction of hydrocarbons and oil pollution.

The ministers met during a meeting in Athens about environment and climate change within the framework of the Union for the Mediterranean, and agreed to promote co-operation towards readiness to respond to pollution caused by Mediterranean hydrocarbon extraction.

They also agreed to work towards protecting the environment and achieving sustainable development, and discussed the decontamination of the Mediterranean from domestic and industrial pollution and the marine impact of climate change.



