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1501. Cavusoglu speaks to Kathimerini

Our meeting with the Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu took place in Famagusta on September 9, 2019, the day the Turkish official entered the fenced-off town of Varosha ...

1502. Minister says migration ‘extremely challenging’

Interior Minister Constantinos Petrides says the numbers of asylum applicants are going up, increasing the social and economic burden on the island...

1503. Saudi minister makes historic visit to Cyprus

Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia, Ibrahim Bin Abdulaziz Al–Assaf, paid an official visit to Cyprus on Wednesday, the first ever in the history of diplomatic relations between the two countries...

1504. Migration and geopolitics

The significant increase in the arrival of refugees and migrants recorded on Greece’s Aegean islands over the past few weeks is cause for concern as it indicates that Turkey is seeking to exploit the issue in order to remind the European Union of Ankara’s critical role in containing inflows. ...

1505. The uncertain landscape to the east

One of the Greek government’s biggest problems is its inability to get a clear reading of Turkey’s or rather of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s intentions...

1506. Overtaxation led to tax evasion

Losses incurred by the state coffers due to tax evasion in 2014-17 were greater than the value-added tax revenue increase as a result of consecutive tax hikes, according to a European Commission report on the so-called VAT deficit (the difference between the expected VAT revenues and actual collections)...

1507. Johnson's brother quits parliament, torn between family loyalty and national interest

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s younger brother, Jo, has resigned as a junior minister and said he would also step down as a lawmaker, citing a conflict between family loyalty and the national interest...

1508. Johnson demands October 15 election after defeat over Brexit

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Wednesday demanded an Oct. 15 snap election after lawmakers seeking to prevent a no-deal Brexit dealt him a humiliating defeat in parliament which he cast as an attempt to surrender to the European Union...

1509. Churchill's grandson to be expelled from Conservative Party

Nicholas Soames, the grandson of Britain’s World War Two leader Winston Churchill, will be expelled from the Conservative Party after voting against Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Brexit...

1510. Estia scheme kicks in for eligible borrowers

The Estia plan aimed at boosting borrowers’ ability to repay their defaulted loans went into effect on Monday, as the Cypriot government embarks on a scheme to subsidize repayments of restructured loans...

1511. Moody’s expects deleveraging to resume but warns over small economy and high level of debt

The credit profile of Cyprus reflects its small but wealthy economy, improved economic resilience and the government`s fiscal outperformance in the wake of the country`s banking crisis, Moody's Investors Service has said in an annual report. ...

1512. Stella Kyriakidou: Climate change and gender equality a priority for the EU

There have been many who have questioned the EU because of the economic crisis that has emerged in recent years. Today we are coming out of this crisis and we realize that the EU still has a lot to offer....

1513. Tangible rewards for alliance-building

Greece's military spending has shrunk dramatically as a result of the crisis, widening the defense gap with Turkey. Successive Greek governments have spent billions on armaments over the past few decades, yet there is very little to show for it in terms of a defense industry. After an ambitious start, state-owned firms such as the Hellenic Aerospace Industry (EAV) and others were gradually choked by mismanagement from political parties and unionism...

1514. Cyprus ready to push on migration question

Interior Minister Constantinos Petrides is drafting a letter for his EU counterparts, in which he is expected to formally ask for a number of individuals under protection status in the Republic of Cyprus to be relocated to other member states...

1515. Greece 2021

Milestones often present opportunities and the upcoming 200-year anniversary of the start of the Greek War of Independence in 1821 could serve as an opportunity for a new beginning...

1516. Boris Johnson set to become next UK PM

Boris Johnson is expected to be elected leader of Britain’s governing Conservative Party and the country’s next prime minister on Tuesday, tasked with following through on his “do or die” pledge to deliver Brexit in just over three months time. ...

1517. No time for mixed signals

We are entering a very thorny patch in Greek-Turkish relations. Turkey’s activities within Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), combined with the standoff with the United States over Ankara’s acquisition of the Russian S-400 missile defense system are increasing the tension further in Greece’s wider region. ...

1518. Turkey rejects EU sanctions, vows to continue drilling

EU Foreign affairs ministers who met in Brussels on Monday endorsed a decision to curb diplomatic contacts and funding for Turkey. In response the Turkish MFA issued a statement signalling that the conclusions adopted by the EU Foreign Affairs Council ‘’will in no way affect Turkey's determination to continue its hydrocarbon activities in the Eastern Mediterranean’’...

1519. Recovering lost ground

The government that has just taken power in Greece is different to what we are accustomed to and close to what a big chunk of the population is eager to see. The center-right administration appears well-prepared. The comparison is not only being made with SYRIZA, which was completely unprepared when it took over at a crucial period in 2015, but also with other supposedly experienced administrations before them. That said, in politics plans can be undone by unforeseen events. ...

1520. The new government, image and symbolism

The first indications from the new government are sending out all the right signals. Tuesday’s handover ceremonies at the ministries confirmed a return to normalcy, after a decade-long crisis that painfully divided the country. Both sides should be given credit for the civilized political discourse that prevailed during the change of guard. It is hoped that this spirit will continue during the debates that are expected to take place in Parliament, not only in the sense of a more sophisticated rhetoric, but also, hopefully, in the approval of some government bills by the new main opposition....

1521. First parts of Russian S-400 system delivered to Turkey

Turkey’s purchase of the Russian defense systems, which Washington says are not compatible with NATO’s defense network, is one of a series of issues which have put the allies at odds. ...

1522. Nicosia bypass closer to the start line

The long-awaited Nicosia bypass on the perimeter of the capital is a step closer to the start line, with reports saying a tender could be announced as early as next week...

1523. Syrians trapped at Ercan head to Turkey

Turkish Cypriot officials say Ankara has decided to host 50 Syrians who have been trapped in Ercan airport due to visa issues...

1524. Mitsotakis, expectations and the need for unity

The coming weeks will naturally see an emphasis on New Democracy’s proposals on all the major issues, from the economy and security, to education and health. At the same time the new prime minister will have to strike a balance between the rival forces within his party’s ranks, combining the new with the old. ...

1525. A wise verdict

The Greek people voted wisely, as they have done in the past. They have given Kyriakos Mitsotakis a comfortable majority and a strong mandate. A percentage so close to 40 percent is unprecedented in the years of the crisis, as is a government with an outright majority. ...

1526. Far-right soundly defeated in Greek elections

1527. Deutsche Bank axes 18,000 jobs

1528. The others were Merkel’s puppets, we were just naive

Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras admitted to being naive enough to believe that his European counterparts, whose countries have loaned Greece billions of euros, would go easy on him...

1529. The liberal narrative and the risks

1530. Playing with fire

The emerging crisis in the Eastern Mediterranean over Turkey’s drilling activities in Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) raise the prospect of an open Greco-Turkish conflict to a level higher than anytime since the Imia crisis...