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1591. Greece and Turkey 'agree' to tone it down

NATO allies Greece and Turkey have agreed to talks to avoid accidental clashes in the Eastern Mediterranean, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday...

1592. US urges everyone to stand down in East Med

The United States is urging “everyone to stand down” in ongoing disputes about drilling and maritime rights in the East Mediterranean, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday...

1593. Golden passports scheme to remain as is

The citizenship-by-investment program will not be terminated, nor will it be suspended for a short period as a way of managing the crisis developing crisis, the government decided during its Tuesday morning coffee at the Presidential Palace. What was strongly tabled was that a potential freezing or termination of the investment program at this point in time would send a message that the government is acting in light of the Al Jazeera publications, and that by extension, that it accepts them....

1594. Justice Minister eager to see justice system reform make headway

Justice Minister Emily Yioliti proposed to the House legal committee on Wednesday the establishment of a working group, composed of representatives of parliamentary parties and the Cyprus Bar Association, for a discussion of positions regarding the direction of the impending justice system reform....

1595. EU ‘very clear’ on expectations from Turkey for de-escalation

The message, the expectations, the timeline and the consequences of not acting towards a de-escalation of tension in the Eastern Mediterranean were “made clear” to Turkey, both via the informal Foreign Affairs Council last week in Berlin and in the telephone call on Monday between EU High Representative Josep Borrell and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, according to EU foreign policy spokesman Peter Stano....

1596. Curtain rising for citizenship-by-investment program

The Presidency has before it four scenarios for dealing with the issue of purchased citizenships. The most likely possibility is that of suspending the investment program for a short period, as revealed by Kathimerini on Sunday....

1597. House President calls for suspension of 'golden passports' scheme

House President Demetris Syllouris has formally suggested to President Nicos Anastasiades that the Cyprus citizenship-by-investment scheme is paused until decisions for its improvement or even complete termination are taken, and called for a meeting of party leaders to discuss the scheme that has recently attracted international attention after a document leak led to a series of articles and videos published by the media network Al Jazeera....

1598. German FM calls for ‘direct discussions’ between Greece and Turkey

“The windows for dialogue between Greece and Turkey must now be opened further and not closed,” German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said in an emailed statement before meeting Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his counterpart, Nikos Dendias, in Athens on Tuesday....

1599. EU keeps expanding future vaccine portfolio

EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said the European Commission has concluded exploratory talks with CureVac to purchase a potential vaccine against COVID-19...

1600. Mitsotakis spells out message to Turkey

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called on Turkey to “stop the provocations” in the Eastern Mediterranean and return to the negotiating table in order to resolve disagreements regarding the delimitation of maritime zones...

1601. After collision, Athens plans next steps

Greek Defense Minister Nikos Panagiotopoulos on Tuesday congratulated the captain of the Greek frigate Limnos that accidentally collided with a Turkish ship during a standoff in the Eastern Mediterranean last week and indicated that Greece is prepared to hold talks with Turkey on the condition that it withdraws its warships and seismic research vessels from the area of the Greek continental shelf...

1602. Greek FM makes impromptu visit to Cyprus

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias is on a surprise one-day trip to the Republic of Cyprus on Tuesday for talks with his Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides...

1603. Borrell doubles down on Turkey criticism

EU High Representative on Foreign Policy Josep Borrell scorned Turkey over the weekend, calling on Ankara to end drilling activities off the island of Cyprus and engage in a broad dialogue with the European Union...

1604. Rival warnings keep on in the Mediterranean

Rival warnings continued to be issued over waters in the eastern Mediterranean this weekend, after EU ministers reaffirmed the bloc’s solidarity with Greece and the Republic of Cyprus and Turkey saying it would not “bow to banditry”...

1605. Turkey says it wants to resolve dispute with Greece through dialogue

Turkey’s Energy Minister Fatih Donmez tweeted Wednesday that Turkey plans to lay two cables, totaling 1,750 km in length, for seismic research for energy resources in the Mediterranean Sea by August 23....

1606. Sex-Ed video draws 'mixed' reactions

A video on consent received hundreds of comments and went viral in Cyprus, with many social media users saying it was funny and useful while others finding it distasteful...

1607. A second lockdown would be a grim financial equation

With the rise in coronavirus cases which are mainly located within the local community and not just at the country’s points of entry, whispers of a second lockdown looming have resumed....

1608. Greek-Turkish exploratory contacts with a deadline

In the wake of last month’s dangerous escalation of tension between Greece and Turkey, the two countries have laid the groundwork for exploratory contacts on the terms and conditions of a possible resumption of a dialogue, with Berlin having played a pivotal role in the rapprochement. ...

1609. Greek FM says Athens got Nicosia’s back

Nicosia and Athens are seeking ways to further oppose Turkey’s moves in the eastern Mediterranean, after Ankara signaled it was ready for dialogue but also sent a seismic research vessel in Cypriot waters...

1610. Athens open to talks but not so fast

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias has welcomed a recent move from Turkey towards de-escalation in the region, saying Athens was open to dialogue but not on all things...

1611. Borrell, Cavusoglu agree on need to de-escalate EastMed tension

EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell held a telephone conversation on Thursday with the Turkish Foreign Minister Melvut Cavusoglu, with the two agreeing on the need to de-escalate tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean. ...

1612. Cypriot president in Paris for talks

Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades is set to meet French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Thursday, as the two leaders get together amid heightened rhetoric over the eastern Mediterranean...

1613. Reopening of Ledra checkpoint a political decision, Kostrikis says

The reopening of the Ledra street checkpoint is a political decision that rests with the island’s two leaders, member of the government’s advisory committee Petros Karayiannis said Wednesday, noting that the epidemiological situation has remained positive on both sides of the divide....

1614. Leaders of Cyprus, Greece coordinate response to new regional instabilities

The President of the Republic of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades shared a telephone conversation with the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Wednesday to discuss ongoing regional developments in view of the navtex issued by Tukey on Tuesday announcing plans for seismic surveys is an area of sea between Cyprus and Crete....

1615. Two extradited from Cyprus to face US justice

The Republic of Cyprus has extradited two alleged cyber criminals to the United States, including a young man who is the first Cypriot national to be extradited under an extradition treaty with the US...

1616. Tseriou Avenue revamp plans picking up speed

1617. Presidents of Cyprus, Greece discuss escalating Turkish provocations

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades and Greece’s President Katerina Sakellaropoulou held their first meeting in Athens on Tuesday, focusing the discussion on Turkey’s actions in the region and the close ties between the two countries....

1618. EU to discuss new names for further sanctions against Turkey

EU Foreign Ministers agreed at the Foreign Affairs Council held Monday in Brussels that the Working Party of Foreign Relations Counsellors (RELEX) that convenes on Thursday should discuss imposing further sanctions against Turkey in view of its provocations in the Cyprus EEZ....

1619. Only through dialogue can the Mediterranean regain stability, Borrell says

The Mediterranean can be a more secure and stable zone only through dialogue, the EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said at the European Parliament’s plenary session on Turkey in Brussels. ...

1620. Turkey reacts to US plan for military education, training for Cyprus

Turkey expressed its disagreement over a US government plan to make International Military Education and Training (IMET) available to Cyprus, saying it does not help resolve the island’s division....