Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with the EU on increased tensions in the eastern Mediterranean between Turkey, Greece and Cyprus.

We are concerned by the continuing instability within the Eastern Mediterranean region. We continue to urge all countries involved to de-escalate and to engage in dialogue. The Foreign Secretary raised this with the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, on 8 July. He has also discussed this with the Foreign Ministers of Germany, France and Turkey. I have raised this with my Turkish, Greek and Cypriot counterparts in recent weeks. We believe it is critical for stability in the Eastern Mediterranean that disputes are resolved through constructive dialogue in accordance with international law, including as reflected in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.