German President's Cyprus visit marks new diplomatic era

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier begins contacts on Monday as part of his state visit to Cyprus between 11-13 February at the invitation of the President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides.

According to a Presidency press release issued last week, this is the first visit by a German President to Cyprus since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The President of Germany was scheduled to arrive in Cyprus in the late afternoon yesterday, accompanied by a delegation, and in the morning of 12th February he will go to the Presidential Palace, where he will be received by the President of the Republic.

After a brief ceremony during which the two leaders will exchange medals, they will hold a private meeting followed by extended talks between the delegations of the two countries, after which the two Presidents will make statements to the press.

Christodoulides and Steinmeier will then visit the Nicosia Town Hall and then the old town of Nicosia along the Green Line.

This will be followed by a lunch hosted by the leadership of the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

In the afternoon, Steinmeier will visit the Anthropological Laboratory of the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) and will meet with UNFICYP peacekeepers. He will also visit the House of Europe and Goethe Institute before meeting the President of the House of Representatives at the Parliament.

Steinmeier will attend an official dinner hosted in his honour at the Presidential Palace by President Christodoulides.

On 13 February, the German President will visit the Makarios III Gymnasium in Platy Aglantzia area of Nicosia, where he will talk to students and then go to the Kofinou Reception Centre for Asylum Seekers where he will be briefed by the Minister of Interior, Constantinos Ioannou.

President Steinmeier will visit the village of Lefkara in Larnaca district, which he will tour. The two presidents will have lunch in the village of Kato Dries before President Steinmeier departs for Germany.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.