Cyprus problem, Varosha on MED7 summit agenda

The Cyprus problem, Turkey’s activities in the eastern Mediterranean and in the fenced-off ghost town of Varosha, will be on the agenda of MED7 summit to take place on Thursday.

Deputy government spokesman Panayiotis Sentonas said Wednesday that President Nicos Anastasiades will be departing on Thursday for the French island of Corsica, where the MED7 summit is set to take place at the invitation of the French President Emmanuel Macron.

Thursday’s summit featuring the leaders of seven Mediterranean countries – France, Greece, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Cyprus and Malta - will be the seventh such summit to take place.

The summit will focus on coordination, finding potential convergences, and the reaching of common positions on EU matters.

Leaders of the seven Mediterranean countries will also deal with the promotion of a peace and stability program for the region, as well as with the identification of a new ambitious regional policy.

The President of the Republic will brief the participating leaders on Turkey’s ongoing activities in the Cyprus EEZ, and its announced plans to enter the fenced-off city of Varosha, as well as the Cyprus problem and initiatives taken for the resumption of talks.

The summit will also address other regional developments, such as developments in Libya, Lebanon, Syria and the Middle East peace process.

The summit will focus on current issues on the European agenda, which are the main challenges for the seven Mediterranean countries, such as, immigration, the state of the economy, the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, while climate change and Brexit will also be discussed.

The summit is expected to lead to a Joint Declaration of the seven Mediterranean states.