Cyprus President to hold private meeting with Prince Charles on March 19

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades on March 19 will hold a private meeting with Charles, the Prince of Wales, who will be paying the island an official visit between March 18-21.

A press release by the Cyprus Presidency said on Monday that Anastasiades will officially welcome Prince Charles at the Presidential Palace on March 19.

Prince Charles, who will be accompanied by his wife Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, will also hold meetings with UNFICYP, as well as top state and religious authorities.

Visits to the UN-controlled Buffer Zone and to various areas across the island are also scheduled.

The first Royal visit outside of the British bases since the 1993, when Queen Elizabeth visited the island for the Commonwealth Heads of Governments Meeting, has been organized in the framework of Cyprus’ 60^th anniversary since gaining independence from Britain in 1960.

The programme will celebrate the historic ties between Cyprus and UK, shared membership of the Commonwealth, and the forward-looking modern relationship between the countries in areas such as education and science, an earlier announcement by the British High Commission said.

The Royal couple’s tour will also include a visit to the Sovereign Base areas, to meet military personnel and their families stationed there.

The royal couple will depart on March 21 for an official visit to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.