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781. Chaos as Biden defends withdrawal

Thousands of people desperate to flee Afghanistan thronged Kabul's airport on Monday after the Taliban seized the capital, prompting the United States to pause evacuations, as President Joe Biden confronted mounting criticism over the US withdrawal...

782. Putin wants UN guarantees for Cyprus

Russian President Vladimir Putin says breaches of UN resolutions on Cyprus are 'inadmissible' in a letter response to his Cypriot counterpart, adding that Moscow backs a federation-based settlement and calls for all permanent members of the Security Council to take on guarantees for the island...

783. Nicosia scores points on UNFICYP draft

Nicosia scored a diplomatic victory on Wednesday on an UNFICYP draft resolution, after members of the Security Council asked to retain narrow language on a federal solution and remove references suggesting a federal framework could be room for finding common ground...

784. Cypriot president points finger at UK and UN

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades says “Erdogan’s audacity” has been fueled by Great Britain and the UN’s special envoy to Cyprus, with the Greek Cypriot leader suggesting during an interview this week that a veto on the EU’s positive agenda with Ankara has not been ruled out...

785. Ankara rejects statement on Varosha

Ankara has remained defiant following a UN Security Council presidential statement that condemned the decision by Turkey and Turkish Cypriots to reopen a residential section of abandoned Varosha...

786. Cyprus wants strong UNSC response on Varosha

The UN Security Council is scheduled to tackle Varosha on Thursday, after the Republic of Cyprus requested closed consultations to take place following a Turkish Cypriot announcement to reopen part of the ghost town in the north, a move heavily criticized by Greek Cypriots in the south...

787. Greek Cypriots mount cancel Varosha campaign

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades declared on Tuesday that no Greek Cypriot from Famagusta 'would become an accomplice to Turkish plans' in Varosha, while also rejecting accusations that he was against Turkish Cypriots sharing power on the island...

788. Erdogan Cyprus visit redraws lines of division

The lines of division on the island of Cyprus are expanding beyond the traditional split along ethnic lines, with a visit by the Turkish president this week expected to cause friction within the Greek Cypriot community over the fate of Varosha but also within the Turkish Cypriot community over political values...

789. Cavusoglu visit sets threshold in Cyprus talks

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says Ankara does not accept the mentality that Turkish Cypriots are a minority in Cyprus, accusing Greek Cypriots of denying equality between the two communities while also pulling favors from the European Union...

790. Nicosia fares well in intense EU council

Nicosia has welcomed a European Council statement that included conclusions on Turkey, after the EU27 leaders held long and protracted consultations that got testy at times especially during Russia talk...

791. Cyprus sea dispute pinned down over coffee

A Greek Cypriot fishing boat was intercepted by a Turkish coast guard vessel this week off the northeastern tip of the island, with the captain speaking out upon returning south empty-handed...

792. Lute back at it again in Cyprus

UN envoy Jane Holl Lute is back on the island to hold separate discussions on Tuesday with the two Cypriot leaders, just days before the seasoned diplomat’s boss is expected to run shoulders with President Nicos Anastasiades in Brussels...

793. Biden and Putin take center stage

US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin decided at a 'pragmatic' first summit on Wednesday to hold arms control and cyber-security talks and return their respective ambassadors, while agreeing to differ on other issues...

794. EU-US summit mentions eastern Mediterranean

In a move to restore transatlantic ties, the US commander-in-chief and his two EU counterparts stressed the need for “sustainable de-escalation' of tensions in the eastern Mediterranean, with a final draft making reference to Turkey and international law after some words were left out...

795. Mitsotakis and Erdogan agree to calm summer

In a 50-minute meeting described by Greek sources as an 'ice breaker,' Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan came to a joint understanding on Monday that 2020 tensions should not be repeated in 2021, while noting at the same time that the big differences between the two NATO members remain...

796. No fly on the wall during Brussels meeting

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meet Monday in Brussels where they are attending a NATO Summit, with reports saying the two leaders at some point plan to have only their interpreters in the room...

797. Blinken: differences with Turkey are no secret

US President Joe Biden will raise the issue of Turkey’s activities in the Eastern Mediterranean during his upcoming meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Tuesday...

798. Blinken covers all bases in phone call to Cyprus

US State Secretary Antony Blinken has pledged support for a federal solution in Cyprus, urging both sides to be open to compromise while also warning over Russian and Chinese influence in the region...

799. Cypriot president warns about Turkey agenda

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades has given a few more hints on what an EU agenda for Turkey ought to look like next month, only days after revealing he was prepared wield his veto power if a decision did not deal squarely with Cyprus...

800. Turkey sees Greek/Cypriot bias in EP report

The European Parliament has adopted a damning report on Turkey, calling among others for a formal suspension of accession talks, while drawing an immediate response from Ankara that says the report is not objective...

801. EY: Liquidity-fueled IPO markets break records in Q1 2021

802. Tatar on defense over PassportGate

Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar says he would give up his Republic of Cyprus documents if there was a way, following new political controversy over citizenship on the divided island, with the newly-elected chief clarifying there were many reasons why his constituents in the north use passports issued in the south...

803. Anastasiades warns against new faits accomplis

Despite talks in Geneva coming to an unsuccessful end after the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced he failed to find common ground among parties, President Nicos Anastasiades lauded the successful management of the summit on the part of Guterres and the Greek Cypriot representation....

804. No common ground in sight in Geneva

The two Cypriot leaders and media coverage of their separate discussions with the UN chief in Geneva could not be more diametrically opposed, with the parties in the 5+1 meeting called to reflect on their positions before assembling again on Thursday...

805. US-Turkish alliance at a critical crossroads

The rift between Joe Biden and Recep Tayyip Erdogan runs deep as the American president – in contrast to his predecessor – attaches a great deal of importance to respect for democratic values and does not see his Turkish counterpart as willing to cooperate in the framework of a world order based on shared principles and rules, Ian Bremmer, the head of Eurasia Group, tells Kathimerini in an interview....

806. Jam-packed day in Geneva underway

UN chief Antonio Guterres started his day with a full plate on Wednesday, with reports saying efforts could be made to draft a joint statement in Geneva despite the two Cypriot leaders reportedly painting different pictures of their priorities during the 5+1 meeting...

807. Search for common ground on Cyprus begins

The United Nations are launching in Geneva their latest effort in the Cyprus Problem, with an informal 5+1 meeting starting Tuesday in search for common ground despite the two sides on the divided island having denounced each other’s official position...

808. Christodoulides: Failure in Geneva won’t benefit anyone

A failure of the informal five-party summit would constitute a negative development for all participants, Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides said in an interview with Kathimerini Cyprus' Marina Economides, just before the new UN-led initiative was set to kick off in Geneva on Tuesday....

809. Anastasiades sets course for Geneva

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades is flying to Geneva on Monday ahead of an informal five party meeting held by the UN to ascertain whether there is common ground to push for a new round of peace talks for the divided island...

810. Alan Duncan publishes book ahead of Geneva

Sir Alan Duncan who irritated Greek Cypriots two years ago when he said sovereignty over waters off the island was 'under dispute' has written a book, in which he says the British High Commissioner felt betrayed by President Nicos Anastasiades...