Cyprus has decried the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Turkey and the occupied north for the development of an undersea natural gas pipeline.

The foreign ministry said on Friday that the MoU in question constituted “yet another manifestation” of Turkey’s policy in the eastern Mediterranean and was “part of the ongoing efforts to consolidate faits accomplis of the occupation and the further integration of the occupied areas with Turkey”.

It said the MoU contradicted international law, including the UN convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos), under which promoting energy projects without the permission of the Republic of Cyprus constituted a violation the Republic’s rights.

“The Republic of Cyprus will continue to defend its legitimate rights, intensifying its efforts at a legal, political and diplomatic level, on the basis of international and EU law, in all competent organisations, including the European Union,” the ministry said.