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1651. US against two-state deal on Cyprus, Heather A. Conley tells Kathimerini

Heather A. Conley is no stranger to Greece as she has made a point of visiting the country every year and also participated in the 2019 Delphi Forum – the last that actually took place in Delphi. A Washington veteran, she is senior vice president for Europe, Eurasia and the Arctic and director of the Europe, Russia and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS)....

1652. Cyprus, Greece coordinate Cyprob tactics

Both Greece and the Republic of Cyprus are remaining firm in their support of a bizonal bicommunal federation as the solution being sought for the Cyprus Problem, the leaders of the two nations said Monday after a meeting held in Nicosia....

1653. From Bismarck to Merkel

'Turks and Germans loved each other for a long time,' Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said during a visit to Berlin in 2018. He was citing the historic words of Germany’s first chancellor, Otto von Bismarck, which still seem to determine Berlin’s policy on Ankara. We should recognize this reality as we enter a new geopolitical era, without succumbing to sentimentalism and spasmodic reactions....

1654. Health commissioner’s Nicosia home staked out

Greek Cypriot news sites on Sunday picked up a story on EU Commissioner Stella Kyriakides, following reports of a media stake out at the health chief’s Nicosia residence amid fierce criticism over vaccine delays...

1655. Two sides mount coordinating efforts with guarantor powers

Along with the visit of the Turkish FM to the north on Monday and the expected arrival of the UK Foreign Secretary later in the week, the Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis will also be paying a visit to Cyprus over the coming days as the two sides and the three guarantor powers mount efforts to coordinate positions ahead of the informal five-party summit on the Cyprus Problem next month....

1656. Mayor defends pushing for vaccinations

The leadership of a trade union has accused Larnaca Mayor Andreas Vyras of threatening a group of staff at a senior home over their refusal to get vaccinated for COVID-19, with the official saying he only pleaded with them to reconsider...

1657. Officials want young people settle in Strovilia

Dherynia officials are seeking ways to have young people populate abandoned homes in Strovilia, on British Base soil, despite challenges stemming from restrictions that were somewhat eased last year...

1658. Informal Cyprob summit to take place in New York's Greentree

Cyprus’ outgoing Permanent Representative to the UN and Greek Cypriot negotiator, Andreas Mavroyiannis, said Monday that the informal five-party summit on the Cyprus Problem which the UN Secretary-General (UNSG) Antonio Guterres intends to convene is an ambitious project, adding that "we must not lose the window of opportunity that lies before us." ...

1659. Slow vaccine rollout affecting Cyprus strategy, President tells EU leaders

President Nicos Anastasiades briefed EU leaders in a videoconference on Thursday evening on the problems Cyprus is facing due to the slow rollout of coronavirus vaccines mainly brought about by the production delays of pharmaceutical companies supplying jabs for the EU....

1660. UNSC backs federal solution to Cyprus Problem

The UN Security Council (UNSC) on Tuesday expressed its support to the efforts being undertaken by the UN Secretary-General (UNSG) to resume Cyprus Problem peace talks and unanimously stood behind a bizonal bicommunal federation settlement basis....

1661. The chaos of the pandemic in the north

The coronavirus pandemic is continuing to affect the north against the backdrop of broad political and economic insecurity, with the recent manoeuvres of the Ersan Saner ‘government’ raising questions as to the ability of the Turkish Cypriot leadership to effectively address the pandemic....

1662. Borrell reiterates criticism of Turkey over Varosha

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has reiterated criticism of Turkey’s decision to reopen part of the beachfront of Varosha, a resort abandoned since Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974....

1663. Spehar meets leaders ahead of UNFICYP mandate renewal

The UN Secretary General’s Special Representative Elizabeth Spehar held tête-à-têtes with the leaders of the two communities on Wednesday morning ahead of the Security Council’s upcoming vote on the renewal of UNFICYP’s mandate....

1664. Five-party meeting within eyeshot

UN special envoy Jane Holl Lute on Monday got both leaders of divided Cyprus to commit to the possibility of informal talks as early as next month, with local media on both sides noting the lack of an official statement from the global organization...

1665. Ledra substation up and running in old Nicosia

A police substation is back up and running 24 hours a day in downtown Nicosia, with officials hoping not only to promote a sense of security in the old city but also carry out inspections to ensure compliance with the latest emergency health laws...

1666. UN envoy rolls the dice on Cyprus

UN special envoy Jane Holl Lute is meeting separately with the leaders of divided Cyprus on Monday, in an effort by the global organization to gauge possible outcomes before committing to informal talks on the decades-long problem...

1667. Lute set to visit Cyprus anew by mid-January

The UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Cyprus, Jane Holl Lute, is expected to visit the island anew during the first half of January in view of holding meetings with the leaders of the two sides as preparations continue toward the organisation of an informal conference on the Cyprus problem....

1668. Ankara wants Lausanne Treaty change

Reiterating a call frequently made by Turkish leaders, Turkey’s Energy Minister Fatih Donmez raised the issue of renegotiating the Lausanne Treaty of 1923, which set out the modern borders between Greece and Turkey....

1669. Government to try set record straight on Cyprob solution being sought

President Nicos Anastasiades will be releasing to all party leaders an informal document he sent to UNSG Antonio Guterres in September 2017 following the collapse of the Crans-Montana negotiations process, in view of disproving those who continue to question his motives on the Cyprus Problem....

1670. Britain and EU publish Brexit trade agreement

Britain and the European Union on Saturday published the text of a narrow trade agreement just five days before the United Kingdom exits one of the world’s biggest trading blocs in its most momentous global shift since the loss of empire ...

1671. Turkey at risk of extended sanctions by March, EU source tells Kathimerini

Ankara could be slapped with more European sanctions depending on the findings of an evaluation report on Turkey expected by March, a senior diplomatic official has told Kathimerini on condition of anonymity....

1672. ‘Federation project no longer sustainable,’ Turkish FM tells Lute

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Wednesday said that Ankara no longer considers the “federation project” for the reunification of Cyprus as a “sustainable” plan....

1673. Dendias warns against appeasing Turkey

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias says the European Union should have shown more determination in taking decisions regarding Turkey, breaking ranks with Cyprus’ president who said he was fully satisfied with EC conclusions...

1674. Cyprus President 'absolutely satisfied' with EC Conclusions

President Nicos Anastasiades expressed absolute satisfaction with the Conclusions of the European Council regarding Turkey’s activities in the Eastern Mediterranean....

1675. EU leaders pull Turkey punch at last minute

European Union leaders agreed on Thursday to prepare limited sanctions on Turkish individuals over an energy exploration dispute with Greece and Cyprus, postponing any harsher steps until March as countries sparred over how to handle Ankara...

1676. EU leaders weigh sanctions over Turkey’s Med drilling

Concerned that their credibility is at stake, European Union leaders are set Thursday to give the green light to the expansion of sanctions against Turkey over its exploration of gas reserves in Mediterranean waters claimed by EU members Greece and Cyprus....

1677. EU to toughen sanctions on Turkish drilling, draft summit statement says

The European Union will impose sanctions on more Turkish individuals and companies responsible for drilling in contested waters in the Mediterranean, according to a draft statement prepared for EU leaders to agree at a summit on Thursday....

1678. EU to talk Turkey after all is said and done

The 'Turkey issue' is far from clear as EU leaders prepare to meet on Thursday, with Ankara accusing Athens of taking a provocative stance and Paris laying it all out before the Union could resume talks with NATO’s eastern flank member...

1679. President Anastasiades travels to Brussels ahead of European Council

1680. Turkey shrugs off effect of sanctions as EUCO looms

The intense consultations between European Union member-states on the bloc’s response to Turkish aggression in recent months are expected to continue until the 11th hour before the start of Thursday’s crucial leaders summit. ...