Front Page Headlines
We will be buying emissions, it is more economic
Cyprus’ National Plan on Climate Change is not ambitious at all. A five-year postponement to the implementation of additional measures on the reduction of emissions. The plan, which the country will submit in the coming days to the EU, provides for a reassessment of the situation in 2024.
- Middle East: Risk of ignition – US-Iran to the extremes. ‘Death to America,’ was the slogan yesterday in Iran’s streets.
War through messages
Foreign ministers summit in Cairo, while Erodgan-Putin inaugurate a pipeline. Important meeting between Mitsotakis-Trump tomorrow.
Trump poured flammable material over the entire globe
The situation remains explosive in the Middle East after the American raid in Baghdad in Trump’s orders that led to the death of Iranian general Soleimani. Iranians and Iraqis mourn the victims of the American raid, with the US and allies fearing retaliation, while Trump adds fuel to the fire by hurling new threats… The US aim at 52 Iraqi targets.
- GC and TC runners unite again in Nicosia, even symbolically, next Saturday, January 11
- Flowers and Bullets: A film about peace (a film by Niyazi Kizilyurek and Panikos Chrystanthou)
The British are putting pressure
They threaten to issue a travel warning if the 19-year-old is jailed. The sentence is announced tomorrow morning. The charge she was found guilty of provides for a year in prison or a €1,700 fine or both.
- President Anastasiades: Turkey is attempting an expansionist policy
- We are sending a proposal to Israel on ‘Aphrodite’ in two to three weeks
- Libya: Air strike by Haftar in the heart of Tripoli-28 dead.
- Trump and Iranians are marking targets: A rain of rockets the first reprisal in Iraq
Main News
Cyprus submits soon proposal to solve Aphrodite gas field issue with Israel
Alithia, Phileleftheros
Energy, Regional/International Relations, External Security
OVERVIEW
Cyprus is expected to send Israel soon its proposal on the development of the ‘Aphrodite’ natural gas reservoir, the dailies report.
President Nicos Anastasiades who will be in Jerusalem later in the month to participate in an international forum is to discuss the matter with the Israeli prime minister.
According to the papers, Government Spokesman Kyriacos Koushos said that Cyprus discussed the matter last week while in Athens for the EastMed pipeline agreement, with the Israeli delegation and Premier Netanyahu himself.
“In the next two to three weeks, our side will send a proposal to the energy ministry of Israel, and we believe that there will be no problems for the exploitation of the Aphrodite field,” he said.
Regarding what further developments are expected in the energy sector, Koushios, ciring Energy Minister Giorgos Lakkotrypis, new drilling is expected in the coming months. “In the first half of the year, we will have some results that we will announce immediately.”
Commenting on statements made by TC leader Mustafa Akinci, who said the EastMed pipeline agreement as a step back in restarting peace talks, Koushos said the agreement does not go against anybody, but could instead aid in stability and peace in the area.
He added countries wishing to join in on the EastMed agreement are welcome, something the leaders who signed the agreement noted.
On the relaunch of the talks on the Cyprus problem, he said that the other side is not ready yet for such a thing. He expressed hope that after the elections in the north for the new TC leader, there would be developments as regards a five-party meeting.
Commenting on developments in the Middle East, following the assassination of Qassem Soleimani, Iran’s prominent military commander Koushos said no retaliation was expected in Cyprus, but that police have increased their presence outside areas “which are in the interest of other countries, and potential targets of retaliation.”
KEY ACTORS
Koushos
>> Believes Cyprus’ proposal on the exploitation of the Aphrodite gas field would solve the problem with Israel.
>> The EastMed pipeline agreement does not go against anybody, on the contrary, it could aid in stability and peace in the region. Anyone is free to join.
>> The TC side is not ready yet for the restart of the Cyprob talks. The GC side hopes the five-party meeting will take place after elections in the north.
FM to discuss regional developments in Cairo
Phileleftheros
Regional/International Relations, Energy
OVERVIEW
Phileleftheros reports that a number of meetings are taking place in the coming days on the regional developments.
Cypriot Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides is travelling to Cairo later this week for a meeting with his Greek, Egyptian and French counterparts to discuss the latest developments in the region, including Turkey’s activities.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriacos Mitsotakis will have a meeting on Tuesday with US President Donald Trump in Washington.
In the meantime, the foreign ministers of France, Germany and Britain will visit Tripoli on Tuesday for contacts with the Government of National Accord. Their aim is to convey to its leader Fayez al-Sarraj that the military agreement with Turkey against Khalifa Haftar must be withdrawn and return to dialogue.
The three countries find that Turkey’s involvement in the Libyan dispute has created problems in their effort to achieve continuation of the talks between the two sides in Libya, the paper reported.
Turkey on the other hand, in response to the EastMed agreement is organising on Wednesday the inauguration by the Turkish and Russian presidents of the TurkStream pipeline which will be transferring natural gas from Russia to Turkey and from there to southern Europe.
With this move, Turkey is basically sending out the message that while the other countries in the region are still at the planning stage, she proceeds with actions, the paper said.