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CYPRUS’ second round of licensing for the offshore explorations of hydrocarbons in its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) was announced on Friday in the government gazette, according to Commerce Minister Praxoulla Antoniadou.

The notice invites licence applications in the next 90 days to search for mineral deposits inside the island’s 51,000 square kilometre EEZ.

It was also published in the official journal of the EU last week.

Applications for the explorations must be submitted within 90 days of its publication in the EU journal.

Meanwhile, Antoniadou has questioned the reliability and confidentiality of the disciplinary investigation conducted into energy chief Solon Kassinis, with whom she has had a highly publicised dispute since stripping him of decision-making powers last year.

She was referring to a report in Phileleftheros yesterday saying that none of the charges against Kassinis stand, be they disciplinary or criminal.

“I felt quite curious when I read the results of the disciplinary investigation,” said Antoniadou referring to the article.

According to Antoniadou, the envelope containing the results of the investigation arrived at the ministry on Friday but she had not read it yet due to her workload on the second round of licensing.

Antoniadou said that since the results are being released in the media first before they get to the relevant minister – herself - she will deliver the sealed envelope to the Cabinet and then allow ‘things to take their course.’

Antoniadou requested at the end of 2011 that the Cabinet conduct the enquiry against Kassinis on the grounds of leaking confidential government documents.