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1501. International EastMed tension-diffusing efforts battling on

International moves to de-escalate tension in the eastern Mediterranean continued on Tuesday, with the German Chancellor holding a tete-a-tete with the NATO Secretary General and the kickstarting of the informal meetings of EU ministers in Berlin, where regional tensions were at the top of the agenda....

1502. Police caught off guard in anti-corona protest

Cyprus police were heavily criticized over the weekend for not taking action against a large crowd of anti-maskers, who gathered outside the Presidential Palace in violation of health protocols...

1503. Entrance fees to be scrapped at 12 Cyprus museums

Entrance fees will be scrapped at 12 museums across Cyprus in a bid to boost visitors....

1504. US concerned over east Med tensions

A US top diplomat has criticized Turkey’s policy in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean, while voicing concerns that tensions in the region complicate NATO's efforts to present a united front in the face of Russia's destabilizing activities...

1505. Greece to extend territorial waters amid dispute with Turkey

Turkey’s president warned Greece on Wednesday not to test his country’s patience or courage as the NATO allies remained locked in a tense dispute over offshore energy exploration in the eastern Mediterranean, while Greece announced plans to extend its territorial waters along its western coastline....

1506. Borrell to present options for sanctions against Turkey at Gymnich

The European Commission confirmed Tuesday that the EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell is set to present a list of potential options for sanctions against Turkey during the Gymnich in Berlin on Thursday, with all options expected to be discussed by the 27 EU leaders during a summit in September....

1507. Crowded migrant camp running out of options

Officials at Pournara migrant camp are scrambling to find more space to host asylum seekers, after it emerged that more than half of detainees at the Nicosia facility are under quarantine due to coronavirus measures...

1508. Nicosia mayor weighs in on migrant housing

Nicosia Mayor Constantinos Yiorkadjis has suggested asylum applicants be barred from residing downtown until their applications are adjudicated, while also calling on the government for a 'clearer housing policy'...

1509. Justice minister on board with new drug policy

Justice Minister Emily Yiolitis says people addicted to drugs and alcohol ought not to be seen as lawbreakers but people who need treatment...

1510. Nicosia, Athens set tone for Turkey response

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said on Tuesday that the Cyprus problem remained at the top of his country’s agenda during a visit on the island, with his Cypriot counterpart calling on the European Union to use a carrot-and-stick approach towards Turkey...

1511. 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...

1512. Cyprus starts fingerprinting ID card applicants

The Republic of Cyprus has stepped up its fight against document fraud and identity theft by launching new identification cards, which require citizens to submit fingerprints and other biometric data to the government...

1513. 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...

1514. Navigating under pressure

The latest crisis in relations between Athens and Ankara is different from previous ones. It is broader in scope, it has a hegemonic dimension, and it is permeated by an imperial rather than – as in the past – nationalist attitude....

1515. Borrell calls extraordinary Foreign Affairs Council meeting

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has called an extraordinary Foreign Affairs Council meeting Friday afternoon....

1516. Cyprus and Russia come to terms

It will no longer be possible for wealthy Russians to distribute profit via dividends to foreign firms in Cyprus, after Nicosia said it agreed with Moscow on terms to amend a double tax treaty, but some say the island still kept some competitive advantages...

1517. Turkey issues yet another Navtex as vessel moves into Greek EEZ

Turkey has responded to a Greek navigational telex (Navtex) issued earlier Monday with an advisory saying that three Turkish research vessels are “conducting seismic survey in Turkey’s continental shelf… in accordance with international law.”...

1518. Regional tensions flare up anew as Turkey issues new Navtex

1519. Police report 56 coronavirus violations, Paphos bar gets shut down

Islandwide police inspections for compliance to coronavirus health and safety measures over the past 24 hours led to 56 reports against 13 businesses and 43 individuals, while a Paphos business was shut down by a Cyprus court for repeated violations....

1520. Cyprus-France defence cooperation agreement comes into force

An announcement by the Cyprus Presidency on Thursday officially marked the initiation of a defence cooperation agreement between Cyprus and France, with particular focus on military and energy areas....

1521. Cyprus calls for EU task force on island

The European Union must do more to fill a power vacuum in the eastern Mediterranean brought on by a perceived US disengagement from the region, and Cyprus is ready to host an EU task force to achieve that goal, the island nation's foreign minister said Wednesday...

1522. Male Cypriots urged to negotiate postponement of higher fees with UK universities

Male Cyprus high school graduates considering going on to a UK university but who must first complete a 14-month military service, by which time the UK is set to enforce its decision to scrap home fee status for EU students, are urged to directly contact their university of interest to negotiate a postponement of the fee increase, allowing them to enrol next under current fee status....

1523. Greek PM tweaks cabinet to increase efficiency on economy, labor and environment

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has introduced changes to the makeup of his cabinet aimed at increasing its “operational efficiency,” government spokesman Stelios Petsas said on Tuesday....

1524. Ozersay says Varosha opening certain

Varosha could be opened to its former residents under Turkish Cypriot administration, says Kudret Ozersay, adding that the process of reviving Cyprus’ ghost town after the pandemic crisis cannot be halted...

1525. 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. ...

1526. Greece ‘overreacted’ to Turkish research mission, Erdogan spokesman says

Ibrahim Kalin, spokesman of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, said Thursday that Greece had “overreacted” to plans by Turkey to proceed with an oil-and-gas research mission south of Greek islands in the Eastern Mediterranean....

1527. European students in US breathe sigh of relief

Foreign students coming from Europe are exempt from a travel ban the United States imposed because of the coronavirus pandemic, the State Department told congressional offices on Thursday...

1528. 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....

1529. Christodoulides, Dendias discuss Turkey with Borrell on sidelines of EU meeting

Relations between the European Union and Turkey were at the center of talks Monday between the bloc’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias and his Cypriot counterpart Nikos Christodoulides....

1530. 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. ...