Front Page Headlines
Moves for protecting the agreed framework
Lute met and heard yesterday the two leaders and will be back for contacts before the informal summit. The UN seeks to keep the two sides, mainly the TC, within the agreed framework and ensure that the process remains alive. After Lute’s meetings yesterday the picture is getting clearer on the procedure to be followed in Geneva but also the role the UN General-Secretary is called to assume. Both the Greek prime minister and (FM) Nikos Dendias made clear to Anastasiades and Christodoulides respectively yesterday that there was no issue of calling off the EastMed project.
- Cyprus-Greece-Israel: Electricity has united us
- The rise in hospitalisations continues – The new relaxations will be decided today.
Parallel Monologues
The Turkish side does not want joint meetings before April’s informal five-party summit. The unlocking of the process will be attempted with a formula like that in Crans-Montana.
- 11 kilometres of barbed wire against the migrants – The fence spans from Astromeritis up to the old Nicosia airport.
- Celebrated memorandum without much substance for EuroAsia Interconnector – Its funding remains uncertain.
Lute is shaping the agenda of the informal five-party summit
She clarifies during her contacts the three-day procedure in Geneva.
- Divisive barbed wire…
Buffer zone fence strands farmers
Barbed wire is intended to curb irregular migrants but it also cuts off farmers’ fields.
- Divergent views amid flurry of pre-talks activity
Barbed wire against illegal migrants
We follow the example of other countries. Its installation started in Astromeritis. The goal is to install it in all the green line points from which irregular migrants arrive from the occupied areas. Reactions by TC parties.
- Erdogan-Tatar remain unflinching – They insist on the two states, rejected a joint meeting.
- Mitsotakis: There was no discussion for changing course on the construction of the EastMed
- An important step for the EuroAsia Interconnector – Cyprus-Greece-Israel signed the Memorandum of Understanding.
- Tourism: Bookings from Britain for Cyprus are rising
Main News
Lute meets with two leaders as sides reiterate divergent positions
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Negotiations Process, EU Matters, Energy
OVERVIEW
UN Secretary-General special envoy Jane Holl Lute’s meetings with the two leaders and information on the procedure at the five-party summit are among the main items in papers on Tuesday.
The dailies, citing statements by government spokesman Kyriacos Koushos, report that President Nicos Anastasiades reiterated during his meeting with Lute his determination for his “creative presence” at the informal conference, reaffirming his full political will to cooperate for reaching a functional and lasting solution to the Cyprus problem, based on UN Security Council decisions and resolutions, the Joint Declaration of Berlin, the High-level Agreements, the work and convergences achieved to date, and the principles and values of the EU, to ensure that the Republic of Cyprus will evolve into a bi-zonal bi-communal federation (BBF).
Koushos also said that Anastasiades stressed, once again, that the presence of the EU as an observer at the conference on Cyprus is in the interest of the whole of Cyprus as an EU member state, citing also the latest statements of the Turkish government, regarding the positive agenda it seeks to have with the EU.
Lute will also hold contacts in Athens but also with the British Foreign Office through a teleconference. No details have been made known as yet about visiting Ankara.
The dailies also report that TC leader Ersin Tatar reiterated his position on a two-state solution, as did Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who, during a telephone conversation with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, said that the two-state solution would create “a win-win situation” for both sides on the island. Erdogan also welcomed Britain’s recent efforts on the Cyprus issue.
Johnson, on the other hand, according to 10 Downing Street, emphasised that the UK continues to be a strong supporter of a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Cyprus issue, based on the internationally accepted model of a BBF.
Anastasiades also discussed the informal meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis during a phone conversation on Monday. Anastasiades and Mitsotakis also agreed on a number of joint actions to be taken in view of the European Council scheduled for March 25 in Brussels, which is set to discuss EU-Turkey relations.
Mitsotakis also confirmed that Greece has no intention of scrapping the construction of the East Med pipeline and clarified that bilateral talks with Egypt concerning the possibility of building an additional pipeline to bring natural gas from Egypt to Greece are underway.
Later in the day the Foreign Ministers of Cyprus and Greece, Nikos Christodoulides and Nikos Dendias, had a meeting at Larnaca airport where the Greek top diplomat made a stop on his way to Athens after a visit to Egypt. The two ministers discussed the Cyprus problem and energy issues.
Haravgi and Phileleftheros also report that DIKO leader Nicolas Papadopoulos discussed the Cyprus problem with Mitsotakis in Athens.
The Greek prime minister said after the meeting that the solution framework which is binding for all parties, is the one set out in the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council for a BBF. He reiterated the firm position of Greece that a necessary condition for the settlement of the Cyprus problem is the abolition of the anachronistic system of guarantees and intervention rights as well as the complete and rapid withdrawal of the occupying troops.
Papadopoulos reiterated his party’s position that the UNSG should clarify the basis for a solution to the Cyprus problem.
The dailies also report parties’ reactions to Lute’s contacts.
Ruling DISY said its goal was reunification of the island through the agreed framework for a BBF solution and the Guterres framework. The party called for support to the president ahead of the informal conference.
Main opposition AKEL said Lute’s meetings with the two leaders was particularly important ahead of the informal summit. The party’s spokesman Stefanos Stefanou reiterated the importance of being consistent with the aim of reaching a BBF solution with political equality as described in UN resolutions. He also said the GC side must be ready for the resumption of talks from where they left off in Crans-Montana and based on the Guterres Framework, “without footnotes, new ideas that would facilitate Turkey to put on the table the unacceptable two-state solution.”
According to Phileleftheros, Lute intended to have a joint meeting with the negotiators, Andreas Mavroyiannis and Ergun Olgun, something that did not happen because the TC side did not favour such meetings. Anastasiades told Lute he was positive for a joint meeting with Tatar.
The paper also reports that Lute is to return at the beginning of April while UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres intends to be in Geneva throughout the informal talks. Following the same formula as in Crans-Montana, he intends to split the whole process into three phases. In the first phase he will meet all five parties jointly, in the second phase he will hold separate meetings with the five parties (leaders of the two sides, three guarantors), while the informal conference will end with another joint meeting of the five parties where Guterres will announce the conclusions, the paper reported.
Politis reports that among the conclusions that can be drawn is that the UN does not wish for the 5+1 summit to be the end of the road for the Cyprus problem and is indirectly trying to make the sides contemplate on the day after. According to the daily, the UN, with various moves, is trying to keep the two sides, mainly the TCs, within the agreed solution framework and ensure that the process remains alive. In this context, it made clear to the Turkish side that there is no fertile ground for what is being said about two states, while at the same time they pointed out to the Greek side that it should approach the issue of political equality in a constructive way.
Lute, after completing her round of contacts, is expected to hold another round of contacts to finalise all details before the summit. The EU has not been officially invited yet to participate at the summit, Politis reports.
KEY ACTORS
Koushos (RoC spokesperson)
>> Anastasiades is determined to creatively contribute to the informal summit with full political will to cooperate for a functional, lasting solution to the Cyprob that will ensure RoC will evolve into a BBF.
>> The EU’s presence as an observer at the summit is in the interest of the whole of Cyprus as an EU member. If Turkey means its latest statements about the positive agenda it seeks to have with the EU, it should act on it.
Erdogan (Turkey)
>> Two-state solution will create a win-win situation for both sides on the island.
Johnson (UK)
>> UK continues to support a comprehensive, just & lasting Cyprob solution based on the internationally accepted BBF model.
Mitsotakis (Greece)
>> The UNSC resolutions providing for a BBF are the Cyprob solution framework which is binding for all parties.
>> To reach a solution, a necessary condition is the abolition of the anachronistic system of guarantees & intervention rights and the full and rapid withdrawal of Turkish occupying troops from Cyprus.
Stefanou (AKEL)
>> It is imperative GC side is consistent with the aim of reaching a BBF with political equality.
>> GC side must be ready for resumption of talks from where they left off, based on the GF without footnotes & new ideas that would facilitate Turkey to put on the table the unacceptable two-state solution.
DISY
>> The island’s reunification through the agreed BBF framework & the GF is the party’s goal.
>> Calls for support to the president ahead of the informal conference.
Papadopoulos (DIKO)
>> The UNSG should clarify the basis for the Cyprob solution.
Controversy over installation of fence along buffer zone
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Internal Security, Migration & Citizenship, EU Matters
OVERVIEW
The dailies report on the government’s announcement that it will install a barbed wire fence across part of the buffer zone to prevent the illegal entry of undocumented migrants which stirred reactions by AKEL and farmers.
The government announced it would install an 11-kilometre barbed wire fence from Astromeritis up to the old Nicosia airport. The first two kilometres have already been installed.
Interior Minister Nicos Nouris, justifying the move, said that 78% of people arriving in Cyprus who apply for asylum are not refugees but people from ‘safe countries’.
Farmers, however, are not happy with this development, arguing that the fence cuts access to their fields. Astromeritis community leader Aris Constantinou said that many from the village live, work and have fields in the buffer zone, and while there is talk of gates being installed to grant farmers access, much of it remains unclear. “How will they be managed, who will open them, close them, for whom and when?” Constantinou asked.
Main opposition AKEL, too, raised objections, arguing that raising a fence along the buffer zone sends the wrong message but will also be ineffective in stemming irregular migration from the north. The party said that nowhere in the world has the issue been effectively dealt with by erecting walls and fences. AKEL also said that this move “refers to the demarcation of the border of the Republic of Cyprus.” The party also called in to question whether the rural communities were even consulted during the planning process.
The interior ministry said in response that the installation of barbed wire intends to combat illegal immigration of third-country nationals and prevent threats to public safety, as per Cyprus’ obligations according to the Green Line Regulation.
The ministry said all its actions are carried out in consultation with the local authorities in order to continue the facilities provided to the farmers and the residents of these areas. It added that both the EU, the UN and several ambassadors have already been informed of the exercise of this sovereign right which does not in any way imply acceptance of fait accompli.
The dailies report that some TC parties have also reacted to this decision by the government.
According to Phileleftheros, police will patrol the fence area to prevent damage to it by the people smugglers. In the future surveillance cameras will be installed. It adds that a fence might also be erected in the Athienou area. Haravgi reports that the erection of a barbed wire fence send negative political message, while the arguments of the interior ministry to the issues raised by AKEL and the affected communities are not convincing.
In the meantime, parliament on Monday wrapped up discussion of a bill providing for severe penalties to persons or legal entities aiding and abetting the unlawful entry of persons into the Republic. The bill provides for prison sentences of up to 15 years and fines up to €200,000.
Head of the House interior committee, DISY MP Giorgos Karoullas, the aim was to implement severe penalties “in order to safeguard our semi-occupied country from attempts to exploit and alter its demographics.”
The dailies also report that Nouris is in Athens to discuss the challenges in managing the migration issue with Greek Minister of Migration and Asylum, Notis Mitarachi.
The Greek minister said Greece and Cyprus face common challenges in managing migration, being at the forefront of pressure from the East. He said they would discuss how to better manage this situation, effectively defend Europe’s borders and exchange experiences and best practices in matters of border protection, reception, asylum and integration.
Nouris reiterated that the percentage of asylum seekers in Cyprus approaches four per cent of its population. He added that both countries are called to deal with the migrant flows channelled from Turkey and raised the lack of solidarity by their EU partners as regards Ankara’s actions.
Mitarachi said that they would also discuss how to achieve better results at negotiations at European level of the new Immigration and Asylum Pact. He added that both countries have expressed concern about what the pact so far provides, the imbalance between the increased responsibilities of states at the external borders and the limited solidarity of the other member states. The issue will also be discussed on March 20 by the competent ministers of Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Malta, and Greece, the frontline Mediterranean countries, in a meeting in Athens.
KEY ACTORS
AKEL
>> Disagrees with government decision to erect fence along buffer zone since it sends the wrong message but will also be ineffective in stemming irregular migration from the north.
>> Installing this fence refers to the demarcation of the border of the RoC.
Interior ministry
>> Installing the fence intends to combat illegal immigration of third-country nationals, prevent threats to public safety, as per Cyprus’ obligations according to the Green Line Regulation.
>> The EU, UN & some foreign ambassadors have been informed by the government of the exercise of its sovereign right which does not in any way imply acceptance of fait accompli.
Cyprus, Greece, Israel sign electricity grid connection MoU
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Energy, Regional/International Relations
OVERVIEW
The papers report that Cyprus, Israel and Greece signed on Monday a Memorandum of Understanding for connection of their electricity grids via the EuroAsia Interconnector, a 1,208-kilometre 2,000 MW capacity subsea HVDC cable.
The Memorandum was signed in a ceremony at the Presidential Palace by the Ministers of Energy of Cyprus and Israel, Natasa Pilides and Yuval Steinitz and virtually by their Greek counterpart Constantinos Skrekas.
The three ministers said in a joint statement that EuroAsia Interconnector, an EU Project of Common Interest, was a major step forward for providing the necessary synergies that will facilitate the integration of additional renewable energy sources in their respective electricity and primary energy supply mixes, thereby enhancing the ability of the three countries to meet their commitments under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
They added that they agreed to promote cooperation to examine the possibility of planning, as well as the potential development and implementation of the project. Such cooperation will involve facilitating the timely granting of necessary permits and approvals, the discussions and coordination between electricity regulatory authorities and Electricity Transmission System Operators, the harmonisation of their respective technical standards and examining ways and means of ensuring the safety, security, sustainability, resilience and reliability of the electricity interconnector cable, the statement said.
Pilides said that this development marked another important milestone in the joint efforts of the three countries to promote regional cooperation in the field of energy. She said the Interconnector’s first phase is estimated to become operational in 2025. For Cyprus, this would mean not only connecting with the energy grids of Asia and Europe, but will also contribute to the completion of the European Internal Market, she said.
“For Cyprus in particular, the EuroAsia Interconnector will constitute a decisive step towards ending the island’s energy isolation and, consequently, our dependence on heavy fuel,” the Cypriot minister said.
The Israeli minister said the EuroAsia Interconnector is the second project between the three countries following the intergovernmental agreement on the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Pipeline.
Referring to regional cooperation initiated by the three countries, he also sent a message to Turkey: “It’s the three of us, Greece, Cyprus and Israel but it is also a broader collaboration in the region and, who knows, maybe one day also another country that is sitting north from here will want to join the regional cooperation and to live peacefully with nice collaboration and cooperation with the rest of us.”
Phileleftheros, however, reports that despite the fanfare over the MoU, this does not finalise anything as the project’s funding remains uncertain. The daily reports that yesterday’s event does not expedite or finalise the execution of this grand project as it was primarily a political move, not a business one. Only if the EU agrees to fund 50% of the cost will this vision become a reality, it said. Though the EuroAsia Interconnector has secured €14m from the EU for the funding of two studies on the implementation of the project, this does not mean that the bloc’s contribution is a given.
The connection between Cyprus and Crete alone is estimated to cost around €1.5bn while the regulators of Cyprus and Greece have agreed three years ago that 50% of the cost should be secured by the EU, the daily reported.