Front Page Headlines
Not a cent in back pay to civil servants
Government commitment to the International Monetary Fund. Court decisions rank high as the most important risk of fiscal derailment. The government has conveyed the existence of wide political consensus for new legislative intervention if the appeal is lost.
- The $9.4bn (estimated natural gas proceeds from Aphrodite field) ‘stands’ – One scenario among others.
Doctors’ race against time
Dozens of elderly go to GESY (National Health Scheme) family physicians for their prescriptions. Problems are being solved but many are pending in public hospitals.
- US messages to Ankara and Nicosia – From (Deputy Assistant Secretary at US State Department Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs) Matthew Palmer.
Α report-slap to the Ombudswoman
The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance notes with concern that the office of the Commissioner for Administration has not carried out any actions aimed at supporting vulnerable groups. The report is also a slap at the government which has chosen and appointed the Commissioner following a strong backstage and many reactions.
- Cyprus in the 3+1 mechanism and deepening of relations with the US against Russia
- The president is being complacent… the dead end in the Cyprob is being made permanent
Civil servants ‘pushed to sue’
Finance minister says law firms prodding them to file class-action over pay cuts.
- ‘A robust partnership’ – President Nicos Anastasiades and US Ambassador Judith Garber toast Cyprus-US relations on Thursday night at a reception to mark American Independence ahead of the July 4 celebration.
The first problems
Family physicians make appointments for patients for prescription refills after a month or a month-and-a-half. Private pediatricians spread fake news to tarnish GESY. Patients go to GESY doctors demanding prescriptions based on the opinion of doctors who have not joined GESY. GESY doctors ask patients if they would like to examine them as private doctors…
- Nicos Anastasiades: I am ready for talks given that …
Main News
US-Cyprus relations gathering momentum
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Regional/International Relations, Negotiations Process, Energy
OVERVIEW
The focus of all papers is on Cyprus-US relations on the occasion of the visit to Nicosia of US Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Matthew Palmer who had meetings on Thursday with President Nikos Anastasiades and Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides but also an event at the US embassy in Nicosia to celebrate Independence Day. Both sides stressed their commitment to further enhancing bilateral relations and called on Turkey to seize illegal actions within Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
According to the papers, Palmer discussion with Anastasiades and Christodoulides included bilateral relations, Nicosia’s request for a lift of the US arms embargo on Cyprus, UNFICYP and energy.
Palmer said after his meeting with Anastasiades that they talked through a full range of issues in the bilateral relationship and that he looks forward to continuing to work closely with the government of Cyprus to deepen and strengthen what is a terrific partnership.
Government Spokesman Prodromos Prodromou said Anastasiades and Palmer discussed bilateral relations but also Turkish activities in Cyprus’ EEZ and the progress in efforts to lift the US arms embargo and the new relationship between the US and Cyprus this would bring.
He added that they discussed the whole range of bilateral relations, as well as the special interest in the Cyprus – Greece – Israel tripartite with the participation of the US as a mechanism contributing to stability and security in the region.
Later in the day the US Ambassador to Cyprus Judith Garber said during a reception to mark the US Independence Day in the presence of Anastasiades and Palmer that her country is deeply concerned over Turkey’s announced intention to begin drilling in the waters off Cyprus. She said the US urged the Turkish authorities to halt these operations.
Garber said the US recognises the right of the Republic of Cyprus to develop resources in its EEZ. “We also believe these resources should be equitably shared between both communities in the context of an overall settlement. It is our earnest hope that such resources will soon benefit a united Cyprus,” she added.
The US Ambassador said that the discovery of hydrocarbons in Cyprus’ EEZ offers great promise. We hope such resources promote prosperity in the entire Eastern Mediterranean and help to diversify Europe’s energy supply, she added.
Anastasiades, in his own address, expressed the deep appreciation of Cyprus to the US government for its firm stance through opposing to Turkey’s illegal drilling plans and fully supporting the unhindered exercise by the Republic of its sovereign rights to explore and exploit its natural resources.
Ties between Cyprus and the US have grown ever stronger in recent years, and Nicosia looks forward to an even more robust partnership in the future, Anastasiades said. The president highlighted the involvement of American energy companies, ExxonMobil and Noble Energy, in Cyprus saying it “does not only mark a new chapter in our bilateral relations, but it is also a tangible sign of trust to the reliable role we have assumed in our volatile neighbourhood.”
Anastasiades also gave an overview of bilateral relations with the US and that there is there was room for further advancing them in areas such as updating the 1984 Agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation; Cyprus joining the Visa Waiver Programme; and revoking the US embargo on the sale of military and defence related equipment to Cyprus.
Anastasiades also mentioned Turkey’s disregard of international law and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, saying Ankara’s conduct constitutes a threat to peace and stability in the region. Such actions also negatively affect Cyprus’ joint vision with neighbouring countries of establishing a strategic energy corridor from the Eastern Mediterranean to Europe.
He stressed his commitment to immediately engaging in reunification talks, provided Turkey terminates its acts which violate the sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus, so as to allow negotiations to resume on the basis of good will, with the aim of reaching a viable and functional settlement.
Phileleftheros, citing sources reported that Palmer told Christodoulides during their meeting that the US is in contact with Turkey trying to push things but their effort is not an easy one. The US believes Turkish actions are a violation of the sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus and negatively affect the energy prospects of the Eastern Mediterranean, the paper reported.
UNFICYP was also among the issues the two men discussed, with Palmer telling Christodoulides that the US approach is linked with all UN peacekeeping forces and not just in Cyprus. Nicosia does not seem to be concerned over possible complications on the matter, Phileleftheros reported.
Politis too, citing sources, reports that the government believes the UNFICYP mandate will be renewed and that UNFICYP itself is positive to such a development.
As regards the Cyprus problem, there does not seem to be any developments on behalf of the UN since there has been no news from UNSG envoy Jane Holl Lute, the daily reported.
Haravgi and Phileleftheros also report that US Senator Bob Menendez heavily criticized Turkey during his speech at the 35th PSEKA (International Coordinating Committee – Justice for Cyprus) Conference that took place in Washington on June 4-6.
Talking about the ‘East Med Act’ a bill he tabled with Senator Marco Rubio that provides among other thing lifting the US arms embargo on Cyprus, Menendez said that real US allies should share the same values, believe in democracy and respect the international order that is based on rules.
He said the bill would have been necessary even if Turkey was the perfect ally adding however that a perfect ally would not illegally explore energy resources within Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone, a flagrant violation of international law and would not violate Greece’s airspace over the Aegean on a daily basis, or think of buying the Russian S-400 systems, expecting to place them next to the (US aircraft) F-35s.
Haravgi, in an opinion piece, said that the US needs Cyprus to promote its own interests in the region through the is interested in the trilateral between Cyprus, Greece and Israel against Russia while the Cypriot
government says it is pleased with the obvious US position, that Turkey, based
on international law must avoid illegal actions within the Republic’s EEZ.
KEY ACTORS
Palmer (US)
>> Looks forward to deepening and strengthening the US-Cyprus partnership.
Garber (US Ambassador)
>> The US is deeply concerned over Turkey’s announced intention to begin drilling in the waters off Cyprus and has urged the Turkish authorities to halt these operations.
>> The US recognises the right of the RoC to develop resources in its EEZ which should be equitably shared between both communities in the context of an overall settlement, hopefully soon.
>> The discovery of hydrocarbons in Cyprus’ EEZ offers great promise since it helps promote prosperity in the entire East Med and diversify Europe’s energy supply.
Anastasiades
>> Thankful for US support to the RoC in exercising its sovereign rights to explore and exploit its natural resources and for opposing to Turkey’s illegal drilling plans.
>> Looking forward to a more robust US-Cyprus partnership & would like to see progress in updating the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement, Cyprus joining the Visa Waiver Programme and a lift of the US arms embargo on Cyprus.
>> The involvement of US energy companies ExxonMobil & Noble Energy in Cyprus marks a new chapter in US-Cyprus bilateral relations & it is also a tangible sign of trust to the reliable role Cyprus has assumed in its volatile neighbourhood.
>> Turkey disregards international law and the UNCLOS while its conduct constitutes a threat to peace and stability in the region and negatively affects Cyprus’ joint vision with neighbouring countries of establishing a strategic energy corridor from the East Med to Europe.
>> He is ready to immediately engage in talks provided Turkey terminates its acts which violate the sovereign rights of the RoC. This would allow negotiations to resume on the basis of goodwill, with the aim of reaching a viable and functional settlement.
Menendez (US Senator)
>> Real US allies should share the same values, believe in democracy and respect the international order that is based on rules.
>> The East Med Act would have been necessary even if Turkey was the perfect ally but at the moment she is not since a perfect ally would not flagrantly violate international law by exploring energy resources within Cyprus’ EEZ, would not violate Greece’s airspace over the Aegean on a daily basis, or think of buying the Russian S-400 systems, expecting to place them next to the US’ F-35s.
AKEL: GC complacency will lead to permanent partition
Haravgi
Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
AKEL warned Anastasiades once more that unless he actually does something to relaunch the talks, he risks going down in history as the ‘president of the partition’, the daily reported.
In response to Anastasiades’ statements earlier in the week during the reception at the residence of the UK High Commissioner on the occasion of the birthday of Queen Elizabeth, AKEL spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said that the president must not be complacent and simply declare that Turkish provocations do not allow for the resumption of the talks. If he goes on like that, then he risks being branded as the president of the permanent partition, Stefanou said.
He said Anastasiades is right in that the situation in the EEZ makes efforts for the relaunch of the talks difficult but that does not mean that he must suffice to that.
Stefanou said Anastasiades ought to take initiative that would put an end to Turkish provocations for the talks to resume such as convincing the UN Secretary-General with actions and not just words that he is ready to sit at the talks from where convergences left off, based on the Guterres Framework and the non-document on the mechanism for the implementation of the solution without any terms and preconditions. This, however, should be done after Turkey ends provocations, he said.
Stefanou said it’s been two years already since the Crans Montana shipwreck but there is yet no sign for the relaunch of the talks which is the only indicated way of solving the Cyprus problem.
The timeframes are dangerously tight, he said, pointing out the possibility of the prevalence among the TC community of forces seeking a two-state solution. Efforts for the terms of reference have ended while the so-called ‘new ideas’ have made things even more complicated and insistence on this notion only achieved in prolonging the standstill, he said, according to Haravgi.
KEY ACTORS
Stefanou (AKEL)
>> Unless Anastasiades convinces the UNSG with actions that he is ready to go to the talks based on agreed convergences, the Guterres Framework and the non-paper on the solution implementation and without any terms and conditions, he risks going down in history as the president of the permanent partition. This should be done after Turkish provocations stop.
>> While Anastasiades is right in that Turkish provocations do not allow for the resumption of the talks, complacency would give time for the possibility of the prevalence among the TC community of forces seeking a two-state solution.
>> The relaunch of the talks is the only indicated way of solving the Cyprob.
>> Efforts to reach ToR have ended, while the so-called ‘new ideas’ have made things even more complicated and insistence on this notion only achieved a prolonged standstill.
New housing scheme to revive areas near the buffer zone
Cyprus Mail
Property
OVERVIEW
The daily reports that the government on Thursday announced a new housing scheme offering monetary incentives to individuals and families to move to areas close to the buffer zone but also to mountain areas.
The scheme by the interior ministry concerns granting 50 per cent of the total expenses for the purchase, construction or renovation of a residence in designated areas, based on the family criteria and income of each applicant. The scheme applies for residential areas along the green line in Nicosia and Ayios Dhometios and communities next to the buffer zone such as Pano and Kato Pyrgos, Pigainia, Mosfili, Pachyammos, Deneia, Mammari, Lymbia, Potamia, Athienou, Troulloi, an area in Pyla, Strovilia, Dherynia, Ahna, Frenaros, Aheritou and Avgorou. Mountain areas over 600 metres are also included in the scheme.
Eligible to apply are Cypriot citizens, citizens of other EU member states that have been living in Cyprus during the last five years and repatriates that live permanently in Cyprus. Applicants must not already own a residence or must not have owned one during the past five years and must not have applied before for state aid for housing purposes either themselves or their spouses/ partners. They must also not have applied to or benefitted from the Immovable Property Commission in the north, the paper reports.
Government holds out on initial estimate on Aphrodite gas field proceeds
Politis
Energy
OVERVIEW
The daily reports that the government, despite the doubts and reservations expressed by some, insists on its estimate that the possible state revenue from the exploitation of the Aphrodite gas field would reach $9.5bn based on a scenario by its own technocrats and external consultants.
The reassurances came after statements by energy expert Charles Ellinas on state broadcaster CyBC radio on Thursday that under the best conditions, the revenues from the Aphrodite gas field would reach between $1.5bn to $2bn of which the state would get 57 per cent, the daily reported.
Bi-communal events for book lovers
Cyprus Mail, Haravgi
Human Rights
OVERVIEW
The Cyprus Mail reports that a new book called ‘Nicosia Beyond Barriers: Voices from a Divided City’ is being launched that includes stories by 50 GCs and TCs on how they experience the city they live in. The book was made a reality after the publishing team invited writers from all sides of the divide to reimagine the past, present and future of their city. The book will be presented during an event held on June 13 at the NiMAC in Nicosia. It has been published in partnership with Commonwealth Writers, the cultural initiative of the Commonwealth Foundation.
Haravgi reports that a bi-communal book bazaar will take place on Saturday at the Phaneromeni Square, organised by student body Proodeftiki and Sol Hareket. Books in Greek, Turkish and English will be available for sale while members of the public will also have the opportunity to exchange books they no longer want, the paper said.