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1. 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....

2. 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...

3. 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....

4. We are committed to seeing EastMed through

Israel's cooperation with Egypt and the strengthening of relations with other Gulf states contribute to peace, while enabling Israel and Cyprus to work together with other friendly nations, Sammy Revel says in an interview with Kathimerini...

5. IMF: Withdrawal of support measures should be gradual

An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission met virtually with the Cypriot authorities from March 8–29, 2021 to discuss recent economic developments and policy priorities on the island. In an interview with Kathimerini Cyprus, IMF mission chief for Cyprus, Anita Tuladhar, said the longer the recovery period in sectors related to tourism, the greater the chance that permanent scars will remain in the economy of Cyprus. Tuladhar also noted the importance of state-sponsored programs to support the economy....

6. Anastasiades: Cyprus won't hesitate to veto EU-Turkey customs union

7. EastMed pipeline could be ready in five years

The EastMed pipeline could be in place in five years, Israeli Minister of National Infrastructure, Energy and Water Resources, Yuval Steinitz, has told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), describing it as an extremely important project....

8. EU foreign chief pops in for a visit

EU’s foreign affairs chief visited Cyprus on Friday where he is meeting with leaders on both sides of the divided island as well as UNJ officials ahead of the latest attempt to revive peace negotiations...

9. Sexual harassment and abuse cases piling up

Cyprus police are currently working on 16 sexual harassment and abuse reports, three of which were filed over the past ten days alone...

10. Syrian walks free after long detention

A Syrian man was detained since May 2019 on terrorism charges won his appeal on Thursday, after the Supreme Court ruled that his detention had exceeded any valid period that had previously been justified on national security grounds...

11. EU leaders seek to inject energy into slow vaccine rollout

European Union leaders are gathering Thursday to try to inject new energy into the bloc’s lagging coronavirus vaccination efforts as concern mounts that new variants might spread faster than authorities can adapt....

12. House Speaker says Parliament must 'raise its standards'

House Speaker Adamos Adamou said that Parliament has an obligation to raise its standards and improve its image to the public, who are turning away from politics and politicians and especially Parliament....

13. Health Minister escorts his mother to get AZ jab

In a symbolic act of support for Cyprus’ decision to administer the AstraZeneca jab to all ages, Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou accompanied his mother on Tuesday to the Engomi vaccination centre where she got her first AstraZeneca shot. ...

14. Turkey, West poised to dance a ‘violent tango,’ foreign policy expert tells K

An expert on Turkey and US foreign policy in the Middle East, Nicholas Danforth has collaborated with the German Marshall Fund of the United States, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP)....

15. 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)....

16. When the lights of the Palace begin to dim

The testimonies of 2013, say that in those critical days of the savings levy, there was a crowd of people on the hill of the presidential palace....

17. 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...

18. Emails from Cyprus connect dots on Jho Low

New information published by OCCRP suggests that Henley & Partners identified Jho Low as a high-risk client but worked with him anyway through a Cypriot company to get him a golden passport...

19. Former AG says he cautioned over passports

The state’s former attorney general says his department had cautioned the government years ago that the country’s golden passport scheme might have been incompatible with European law, essentially contradicting the executive branch's position that nobody had said anything...

20. EU asks AstraZeneca to publish contract

The European Union is asking AstraZeneca to publish the contract it signed with the bloc on Covid-19 vaccine supplies, an EU official said on Wednesday, in an escalation of the row over delivery delays...

21. Greek MPs approve extension of Ionian Sea territorial waters

With 284 votes in favor and 16 “present,” lawmakers approved legislation on Wednesday to extend Greece’s territorial waters along its western coastline from six to 12 nautical miles....

22. Cavusoglu says Turkey-EU in more ‘positive place,’ but chides Greece

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said relations with the European Union are in a “more positive place” but continued to accuse Greece of raising obstacles to exploratory talks planned for later this month....

23. Minister gets memed for vaping on live TV

Education Minister Prodromos Prodromou became the subject of criticism and ridicule on social media Tuesday, following a live video interview where he was seen smoking an electronic cigarette...

24. 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....

25. January approval for AstraZeneca vaccine by EMA unlikely

The European Medicines Authority (EMA) will most likely not be able to approve the Covid-19 vaccine developed by drug maker AstraZeneca and the University of Oxford in January, the watchdog's Deputy Executive Director Noel Wathion said....

26. Cyprus’ migrant camp way over capacity

The overcrowding situation with refugees and asylum seekers at Pournara camp was back in the news, following an unannounced visit by the state’s Ombudswoman who said she saw some improvements but also some problems still not being addressed such as the right to move freely out of the camp...

27. Cyprus calls on Turkey to engage in maritime zone delimitation talks

In an interview with the UAE television channel Alarabiya, defence minister Charalambos Petrides called on Turkey to accept the Republic of Cyprus’ invitation to engage in talks in view of reaching an agreement over the delimitation of the contested maritime zones between the two countries, or alternatively refer the issue to the International Court of Justice....

28. Turkish-Cypriot leader insists on two-state solution

In a Kathimerini interview a month after becoming the leader of the Turkish-Cypriot community, Ersin Tatar reiterated his opposition to a bizonal, bicommunal solution for Cyprus, insisting on a two-state model and calling for “a border adjustment” between the two sides....

29. Bishop apologises over reporter incident

Bishop Nikiforos of Kykkos, who told a reporter to “shut up” on Wednesday as cameras were rolling, has issued an apology, saying he regretted his behaviour, with the incident revealing tensions remain high over the Ukrainian issue...

30. Tactical moves by Ankara before EU summit

The anticipated suspension on November 29 of the activities of the Oruc Reis seismic vessel within parts of the Greek continental shelf after having scanned the entire area it had reserved since August is being touted by Ankara as a goodwill move ahead of the European Council in December 10-11, where one of the main topics of discussion will be the possibility of imposing sanctions on Turkey over its behavior in the Eastern Mediterranean. ...