Front Page Headlines
A holy, €300,000-cheque following the naturalisation
Archbishop: It was the Malaysian’s donation to the Theology School. The Church primate is dumping responsibilities on the government and admits his intervention. Socratis Hasikos, who had been informed also by MOKAS (Unit for Combating Money Laundering) claims it is a monstrous lie.
- They got to work for the trilateral
- Arrests for human smuggling
They are aiming for a light dust off
The government wants to close the matter with some passport cancellations. Excuses by Anastasiades, constant fire by AKEL.
- Invitation to Turkey for EEZ delimitation
- The crossings will be closed to third-country nationals – The code of the implementation of the Green Line Regulation is changing. Proposal to the Cabinet by the interior minister.
- The row between the Presidential Palace and AKEL is at the extremes
- The smugglers of the 131 Syrians ended up in the cell
- They are taking apart the War Museum which never operated – They set it up and then realised it wouldn’t do.
A €300,000 donation by Low to the Archbishop
The application for the citizenship for the Malaysian fugitive was filed through an audit house. Recommendations were made by Archbishop Chrysostomos II followed by approval by President Nicos Anastasiades on the Cabinet’s decision. Except from the purchase of a €5m-villa in Ayia Napa, Jho Taek Low, made a generous donation to the Archbishopric, the Archbishop revealed last night to CyBC.
- They are torpedoing every understanding (AKEL-government spat)
President wants passport revoked
Wanted fugitive Malaysian with Cypriot passport may be ‘just one of others’ needing review.
- Over 130 migrants arrive by boat
- Poverty and war, Cypriot women on BBC show
We are taking back the passports
Decisions at the next Cabinet meeting. All naturalisations concerning suspicious cases will be annulled. Strict criteria from February 2019. Socratis Hasikos refutes the Archbishop’s involvement and calls for revocation of the Malaysian’s passport.
- Anastasiades to Akinci: Both you and Lute know of the “narrative” of August 9
- We knocked on the Schengen door – What are the benefits.
- Giorgos Lakkotrypis: ENI-Total are not leaving from block 7
- Another 131 arrived – The arrivals of migrants are non-stop.
- He burned the bridges with the Presidential Palace – Andros Kyprianou cancelled today’s meeting with the president due to the harsh statements of the last days. Prodromos (Prodromou): If someone was to interrupt dialogue with AKEL it would be the president, who, remains open to dialogue, however.
Main News
Anastasiades: It was the August 9 agreemnt that convinced Lute to come to Cyprus
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Negotiations Process, Regional/International Relations, Energy
OVERVIEW
According to the dailies, President Nicos Anastasiades said that it was the August 9 agreement between him and TC leader Mustafa Akinci that convinced UN envoy Jane Holl Lute come to the island to resume her effort on the Terms of Reference (ToR).
In response to statements by Akinci during the weekend, who had called on Anastasiades to stop spreading inaccuracies on the August 9 meeting, the president said that the ‘narrative’ of August 9 was made known to Lute both by him and the TC leader.
This ‘narrative’ is what convinced Lute to come to Cyprus and let to her preparing the first, brief joint statement which was along the lines of what had been agreed on August 9, he said. He added he did not want to make any further statements that might infect the climate ahead of the trilateral.
He also said however that it was not for the leader of the GC community to agree to terms that ought to be the outcome of dialogue at the negotiations table and not brought up at this stage of informal talks.
During the opening of the Economist Conference in Nicosia Anastasiades also called on Turkey to respond positively to the invitation by the Republic of Cyprus to delimit their exclusive economic zones (EEZs) as the government has already done with Egypt, Lebanon and Israel.
He reiterated that Cyprus seeks good neighbourly relations with all the states in the region, among them Turkey. The only prerequisite for this, and any other regional cooperation is that it should be based on the principles of international law, legitimacy, mutual respect and peaceful coexistence, he said.
Anastasiades also said that the Republic of Cyprus which is a sovereign and independent state, despite any unacceptable challenges, would remain focused on exercising its sovereign rights and honouring its contractual obligations on hydrocarbons exploration.
According to Politis Anastasiades’ associates including the foreign minister held a meeting at the Presidential Palace yesterday to coordinate ahead of the trilateral and see how to handle possible scenarios that may arise in the near future.
The UN is trying to find a date for Lute’s arrival, given that Anastasiades has several trips abroad scheduled. He will have to meet with Lute before the trilateral, however, the daily reports.
All dailies also report on the spat between the president and AKEL and the cancellation by the latter of a meeting with Anastasiades scheduled for today to discuss government reforms.
AKEL said they would not meet with Anastasiades after he implied on Sunday the party was supporting Turkey’s positions, while the Government Spokesman said that the president was not recalling what he said. Even since the end of the talks in Crans-Montana, AKEL has been making baseless and insulting statements against Anastasiades, he said. It is Anastasiades who should discontinue any dialogue with AKEL, the spokesman said, adding however that the president is always open to dialogue and that AKEL should not have cancelled the meeting since it concerned the reforms.
KEY ACTORS
Anastasiades
>> This narrative the TC leader is accusing him of fabricating on the August 9 meeting is exactly what he and Akinci himself conveyed to Lute and convinced the UN envoy to prepare the joint statement which was along the lines of what had been agreed during that meeting.
>> It is not for the leader of the GC community to agree to terms that ought to be the outcome of dialogue at the negotiations table and not brought up at this stage of informal talks.
>> Calls on Turkey to agree to the delimitation of its EEZ with the RoC.
>> Cyprus seeks good neighbourly relations with all the states in the region including Turkey, but this cooperation should be based on the principles of international law, legitimacy, mutual respect & peaceful coexistence.
>> The RoC, as a sovereign and independent state remains focused on exercising its sovereign rights & honouring its contractual obligations on hydrocarbons exploration despite any unacceptable provocations.
Government trying to curb uncontrolled influx of migrants through north
Phileleftheros
CBMs, EU Matters, Regional/International Relations, Internal Security
OVERVIEW
According to the daily, Interior Minister Constantinos Petrides said he would submit to Cabinet tomorrow a proposal calling for an end to the free movement through the crossings of third-country nationals to address the migration problem.
The minister told the daily that the proposal concerns changing the implementation code of the Green Line Regulation to forbid entry to the free areas of persons from third countries arriving on the island through illegal ports and airports.
Petrides said that each month, hundreds, if not thousands of third-country nationals cross through the occupied areas, and because they secure a Schengen visa, they pass without being checked.
This is a new route for migrants that take advantage of the Green Line practice, the minister said according to the daily. He also said that in 2004 when the Regulation was prepared this migratory flow from African and Asian countries did not exist.
Now, many persons from these countries arrive to the occupied areas through Turkey, and either by securing a Schengen visa or through other ways, they enter as migrants in the government-controlled areas.
He argued that these persons cross without being checked while TCs are checked when crossing.
According to the Regulation, Cyprus can locate these persons within 90 days and force them return to their countries in case they are found to live in the country illegally but it is impossible to locate them since no one knows of their whereabouts after they cross, Petrides said.
He added that this was also a matter of public order, prevention of terrorism and tackling irregular migration and that the proposal aims at better checks in crossings so that entry will be barred to those entering illegally.
This proposed change would not affect citizens of the US, Canada, Russia and the UK after Brexit, the daily reported.
Government applies to become Schengen Area member
Alithia, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
EU Matters, CBMs, Regional/International Relations, Internal Security
OVERVIEW
The dailies report that Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides told MPs on Monday that the government has requested last September to become a member of the Schengen Area.
The Republic of Cyprus will have to undergo a five-stage assessment before the request is granted including assessment of the green line, the minister said. He added that toward that end are the new measures taken by the government to increase checks along the green line with the use of technology and by increasing patrols but also protocols.
According to the minister, for a country to be admitted to the Schengen Area as a member and issue Schengen visas, must prove that it can effectively assume the responsibility of the area’s external borders on behalf of also the other members.
He said that if Cyprus becomes a member of the Schengen Area this would yield multiple benefits at many levels.
Christodoulides also said that his ministry’s vision was the creation of a regional organisation, something like a Mediterranean OSCE (Organization for Security and Co‑operation in Europe) without any military dimension. He said consultations were at an advanced level for the establishment of a permanent secretariat for the coordination of trilateral cooperation mechanisms Cyprus and Greece have established, which however is not expected to be completed before 2023.
‘ENI-Total were not planning on drilling in block 7 right away’
Alithia, Politis
Energy
OVERVIEW
The dailies report that the government dismissed media reports that the French-Italian consortium Total-ENI were considering not to launch any operations in block 7 due to the Turkish actions.
Alithia reports that Energy Minister Giorgos Lakkotrypis refuted those media reports.
The minister told the daily that it would take between one and a half and three years for the drilling in the block in question to take place given that the consortium was licensed only a month and a half ago.
He said several other drillings are scheduled to take place in other blocks next year.
Politis, citing a government source, reported that drilling in block 7 is not in the consortium’s priorities that is set to start at the beginning of 2020 its new round of drillings.
The same source said that it takes great preparation before any drilling and that the necessary procedures were not completed for drilling in block 7.
The dailies also report that Turkey has announced five new drilling activities for oil and gas for 2020 including in areas in the occupied part of the island.