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Overturn in the global tax class
What the G7’s decisions mean for Cyprus.
- Varosha: They’re opening Golden Coast
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Dynamic for Nicholas
DIKO (9 seats) decides today on the presidency of Parliament and is waiting on a move from AKEL (15 seats). The final decisions of both tomorrow.
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Nurses striking demanding the obvious
12-hour strike and demonstration today outside the Health Ministry.
- Politics: The EU to get fully involved in Cyprus problem negotiations
- Work to open Varosha continuing
- Ankara is seeking to smoothen its relations with Paris after months of tension between the two sides
Difficulties for patients for union reasons
12-hour nurses strike with a possibility of intensification. PASYNO notes that already its members have been found guilty and it should react to an irregular situation, as it calls it. From the moment that a complaint was filed, it ought to have launched a disciplinary probe, the Health Ministry says. The vaccination programme will also be affected.
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Main News
Borrell: EU must get fully involved in Cyprob ASAP
Alithia, Haravgi, Phileleftheros
Negotiations Process, EU Matters
OVERVIEW
The sooner the EU becomes fully involved in Cyprus reunification talks the better, EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell has said, the dailies report.
Borrell’s statement, released by DISY on Sunday, was made in a reply letter dated June 1 to the Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the European Parliament, David McAllister. In his letter, Borrell also welcomed the agreement reached in Geneva in April on another ‘5+UN’ informal meeting on Cyprus – as announced by the UN Secretary General (UNSG) on April 29.
“We stand ready to provide whatever assistance both Cypriot leaders and the UN would find useful. I have reassured UNSG Guterres of the EU’s and my own readiness to engage at the political level, cognisant of the sensitivities of the process that he is trying to steer to a successful outcome,” Borrell said. He added that a future settlement must comply with the EU acquis and EU safeguards.
Borrell said the EU is an observer to the formal conference on Cyprus, stressing that the sooner the EU becomes fully involved in the Cyprus talks, the better. He said the EU is making this point with Turkey and TCs. Reminding that EU senior officials were present in Geneva in April for bilateral meetings he then noted that the EU remains closely engaged with the UN and the parties. Borrell furthermore said he shares the assessment that the situation in Cyprus is unsustainable and increasingly worrying from both a Cypriot and an EU perspective, also due to its implications for regional stability and prosperity in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Borrell said that as the European Council has reaffirmed repeatedly, the EU remains fully committed to a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem in accordance with relevant UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions and in line with the EU acquis. However, Borrell said that as he has discussed with both President Nicos Anastasiades and TC leader Ersin Tatar, the solution to the Cyprus issue cannot come from outside and that responsibility for finding a solution lies first and foremost with the Cypriots themselves.
“We know it is going to be a complex process but during my conversations, I have been encouraged by the readiness of both President Anastasiades and Mr Tatar to engage with the UN in order to find a common ground on the way forward”, he added. Borrell also welcomed the Committee on Foreign Affairs’ intention to organise an exchange of opinions on the status quo of the Cyprus problem.
In his letter to Borrell, McAllister refers to the outcome of the informal Geneva summit, noting that however one thinks of the realistic prospects of the summit, the situation in Cyprus is becoming all the more concerning from an EU perspective. McAllister noted that though many issues are at stake, the security dimension must be monitored closely. He adds that developments surrounding hydrocarbons showed that the Cyprus problem has the potential of stabilising the Eastern Mediterranean region. McAllister also pointed to the economic dimension, noting that that the Cyprus issue hinders the development of sustainable energy infrastructure in the region, which also affects the energy architecture of the EU itself.
McAllister also said any settlement would require the agreement of both communities and Turkey, but said that recent developments in Turkey limit chances of implementing any potential agreements. Even so, McAllister said he is certain that the EU must seek solutions for the Cyprus problem that are in line with the EU acquis, and as such the soon the EU gets involved the better.
KEY ACTORS
Borrell (EU)
>> The sooner the EU becomes fully involved in Cyprus reunification talks the better & EU is making this point with Turkey and TCs
>> The situation in Cyprus is unsustainable and increasingly worrying from both a Cypriot and an EU perspective & due to implications for EastMed stability and prosperity
>> Welcomes UNSG announcement of his intention to convene second 5+1
>> EU stands ready to provide whatever assistance both Cypriot leaders and the UN would find useful; he himself has informed EU & UNSG of his personal readiness to engage at the political level
>> EU remains fully committed to a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem in accordance with relevant UNSC Resolutions and in line with the EU acquis
>> As conveyed to both leaders, Cyprob solution must come from Cypriots themselves
McAllister (EU)
>> Geneva 5+1 outcome shows Cyprus situation concerning from EU perspective
>> Though many issues are at stake, the security dimension must be monitored closely
>> Developments surrounding hydrocarbons show that Cyprob has the potential of stabilising the EastMed region
>> Cyprob hinders the development of sustainable energy infrastructure in the region, which also affects the energy architecture of the EU itself
>> Any settlement would require the agreement of both communities and Turkey, but recent developments in Turkey limit the chances of implementing any potential agreements
>> EU must seek solutions for Cyprob that are in line with the EU acquis & must get involve as soon as possible
Revamp work continuing in Varosha
Alithia, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Territory
OVERVIEW
A new part of the Golden Coast beach in Varosha, stretching to the Venus hotel, is almost ready, the Cyprus News Agency reported on Sunday according to the dailies.
The beach is where Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited in November last year, having a ‘picnic’ with TC leader Ersin Tatar and his wife. A pathway to the beach planted with palm trees has been completed and a place selling drinks and snacks has been created but is not open yet. Beach umbrellas and sunbeds have been set up on the beach although it has not yet been opened to the public.
Part of the beach in the fenced city of Varosha has been in operation since 1975 in addition to three beachfront hotels but only for members of the Turkish army, the dailies report, adding that this area is still fenced off to the public, and people are not allowed to pass through it to get to the new stretch of beach.
On the stretch of Kennedy Avenue visitors have to use to access the beach a large area has been levelled off although it is not clear what it will be used for. Changes have also been made to the Municipal garden, which has been cleaned up and it appears it will be reopened. TC press has recently reported that a National Cyprus Garden is to be created.
Since part of the fenced area was opened in October last year the streets that are now accessible have been cleaned up although it is not possible to enter any of the building as they have been roped off and CCTV cameras installed.