Front Page Headlines
Nicosia alone due to Belarus
Issue of sanctions on Minsk – Ankara referred to summit. “Nicosia is missing for unanimity” J. Borrell underlined after the end of the Foreign Affairs Council. Athens focuses on Greek-Turkish relations. N. Christodoulides insisted that they should move in parallel, but J. Borrell rejects that there as an agreement for something like that. Behind the scenes intervention by A. Merkel suggesting Turkey withdraw Yavuz from Cypriot EEZ. Eventual convening of five-party meeting.
- “FinCEN Files”: Suspicious movements of 1.4 billion dollars through Cyprus
- K. Sakellaropoulou: We will not give in to threats and blackmail
- Naturalisations: From China to Malaysia, one passport – PwC’s position
- Another 8 cases: Coronavirus plays ball in N. Salamina
Veto against tactics
Nicosia did not allow the Germany – Borrell effort for Turkey to pass without scratch. Decisions in the hands of the 27 leaders.
- Strong messages from (Greek) President
Backroom dealings to avoid sanctions
Borrell: There are positive steps regarding Turkey. Greece did not support Cyprus’s veto either. Teleconference between Merkel, Michel, Erdogan today.
- Federation otherwise partition will be entrenched
- Sakellaropoulou – Anastasiades discussed about Eastern Mediterranean, Cyprus Problem, migration
Cyprus seeking EU quid pro quo
Bloc fails to get Belarus sanctions as Cyprus digs in heels on Turkey.
- Minister appeals to public after recent spike, four clusters found in Larnaca
Christodoulides digs in heels
Cyprus blocked sanctions against Belarus asking for equal treatment. For the first time Cyprus blocked European sanctions – “Our reaction cannot be a la carte”. FM asked his counterparts to show consistency and to apply unanimous Gymnich decisions. Josep Borrell: Displeasure from EU over Turkish NAVTEX in Cypriot EEZ.
- FINCEN FILES – 897 suspicious transactions from Cyprus with an amount of 1 billion dollars: Suspicious flows with Cypriot connections – Erdogan’s son in law involved in oil, gold and porn scandals
- “Support in practice”: Mitsotakis – Pompeo will have meeting in Crete
- Warm welcome: Sakellaropoulou: United front by Cyprus – Greece
- Coronavirus: Back to single digit numbers – Chaos in Europe
- Erdogan sues a Greek newspaper
- EU sanctions on Turkish company over Libya
Main News
Cyprus blocks Belarus sanctions over no progress on Cyprus
Alithia, Haravgi, Cyprus Mail, Phileleftheros, Politis
EU Matters, Regional/ International Relations, Energy, External Security
OVERVIEW
The dailies report on the results of Monday’s Foreign Affairs Council (FAC), where Foreign Minister Nicos Christodoulides insisted that sanctions against the Belarusian regime cannot proceed without progress in Cyprus’s requests that new names be added to the list of persons and companies sanctioned over Turkey’s activities in the Cypriot EEZ.
This move effectively vetoed the effort to impose sanctions on Belarus. The FAC agreed that the discussion will move on to the leaders of the member states, during Thursday’s European Council (EUCO), which will also examine the full breadth of EU-Turkish relations.
In a press conference after the meeting, Borrell said that “it is no secret that we don’t have unanimity because one country does not participate”, Phileleftheros reports. When asked to comment on Cyprus’s position, Borrell confirmed that this country was Cyprus and added that he understands its position.
He pointed out that despite the fact Turkey has taken positive steps in the case of Greece, it has not changed its behaviour in the Cypriot EEZ which is regrettable. He said that he never accused Cyprus but that he merely stated a fact, and that this was a political problem which the leaders will have to solve.
Borrell also said that during the political discussion there was an agreement on the need for sanctions and added that he will do whatever he can to move these forwards since the ability of the EU to have a foreign policy is at stake.
Before the meeting, Christodoulides told journalists that the EU’s reaction to the violation of core values and principles cannot be à la carte but needs to be consistent. He added that he believes there are no deadlocks in diplomacy and that he is ready to implement the political decision that was reached by the Foreign Ministers in their unofficial meeting in Berlin.
In an interview with Euronews later on Monday, Christodoulides underlined that Cyprus is not against the imposition of sanctions on Belarus and that the country has also suggested that the EU should also impose sectoral sanctions on Minsk. He also said that a member state suggested a compromise which was seen as positive by Nicosia but did not bring an end to the deadlock.
Phileleftheros reports, citing information, that during Monday’s FAC all countries agreed on the need to impose sanctions on Belarus. However a number of countries (Cyprus, Greece, Slovakia, France, Ireland, Denmark, Malta) said that the FMs had reached a political agreement in Berlin’s unofficial FAC on moving in parallel regarding measures on Belarus and on Turkey.
According to the same reports, some countries said that due to the fact that further sanctions regarding Turkish actions in the Cypriot EEZ are connected to the wider discussion over the future of EU-Turkey relations, the issue should be taken up by the leaders during Thursday’s EUCO. Given this, Cyprus said that the issue of Belarus sanctions should also be referred to the leaders.
Politis reports that the diplomatic approach adopted by Cyprus entails risks, and points out that Cyprus and the EU have a different understanding on what was agreed during Berlin’s unofficial FAC. On the one hand, the EU points out that what was agreed is that both sets of sanctions will move as soon as possible, but it does not connect the two, while on the other hand, Cyprus believes that the agreement is that the two should move in parallel.
Politis also points out that Greece has kept a mild stance, supporting Cyprus to an extent but focusing on the effort to restart a dialogue with Turkey. Cyprus also appears ready to pressure countries that are mediating with Turkey in order to get Turkey to change its behaviour. According to government sources, Germany in particular is ready to seek the withdrawal of Yavuz from the Cypriot EEZ in order to help improve the climate ahead of a restart of negotiations in October.
The FAC did decide to impose sanctions on a Turkish shipping company that is accused of breaking the arms embargo imposed on both sides in Libya by the UN. The ship was also involved in an incident between French and Turkish ships in June.
The dailies report, citing news agencies, that Avrasya Shipping was the company that had chartered Cirkin, the vessel which is accused of having transported weapons to Ankara last May and June.
Greek Foreign Minister Nicos Dendias made no specific mention of the situation around Cyprus but called on Turkey to give tangible indications that it respects international law, Alithia reports.
In a statement issued after the FAC, Dendias said that the Council recognised that the withdrawal of the Oruc Reis was a positive step, and added that Turkey needs to offer more tangible proof that it respects international law. He added that this issue will be addressed once again in Thursday’s summit with the aim to agree on the direction EU-Turkish relations will take.
Dendias also said that the ministers discussed the situation of Belarus and the need for sanctions against the Lukashenko regime, EU-China relations, as well as the EU’s relations with its southern neighbourhood especially in helping solve problems such as unemployment and migration.
Alithia reports that Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is going to meet with Mike Pompeo in Crete, during the upcoming visit by the US Secretary of State to Greece. A Greek government spokesperson told the media on Monday that Greece expects Pompeo to give its support to the country in practice.
Meanwhile Haravgi reports that the Turkish President’s spokesperson, Ibrahim Kalin, told the DHA news agency that the country’s relations with the UN-recognised Libyan government are not affected by the stepping down of former prime minister Fayez Sarraj, and that the Turkish-Libyan memorandum of understanding is still in effect.
Kalin also repeated the Turkish position that energy should contribute to the prospect of regional cooperation, noting that its political disagreements with Israel and Egypt do not have to be an obstacle. He added that Turkey is positive to a conference or process regarding the sharing of resources with the participation of all countries in the Mediterranean. He said that Erdogan said as much to European Council President Charles Michel as well as to German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
He also said that US actions in the region are unilateral and do not help the process, referring to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s visit to Cyprus and the fact he did not visit the T/C leader.
KEY ACTORS
Josep Borrell (EU High Representative)
>> It is no secret that there is no unanimity because of one country
>> Regarding sanctions on Belarus and Turkey we said they would move in parallel, not connected
>> No accusation against Cyprus, merely stating a fact
>> Cypriot position understandable but a political problem for the leaders to solve
>> Turkey took positive steps in the case of Greece but not in the case of Cyprus and that is regrettable
>> Will do whatever he can to get sanctions on Belarus regime since it reflects on EU’s foreign policy effectiveness
Nicos Christodoulides (Cypriot Foreign Minister)
>> EU’s reaction to violation of core values and principles cannot be à la carte
>> Cyprus wants the implementation of the agreement reached in Berlin
Nicos Dendias (Greek Foreign Minister)
>> Withdrawal of Oruc Reis was positive step by Turkey needs to offer more tangible proof of respect to international law
>> Issue will be addressed by leaders during discussion on EU – Turkey relations
East Mediterranean Gas Forum charter to be signed via teleconference
Alithia, Haravgi, Phileleftheros
Regional/ International Relations, Energy, External Security, EU Matters
OVERVIEW
The East Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMFG) will officially be constituted as an organisation during a ceremony, conducted over teleconference, in which the countries involved will sign its charter on Tuesday.
The dailies report, citing an announcement by the Ministry for Energy, Minister Natasa Pelides will sign the charter on behalf of the RoC in a ceremony due to take place on Tuesday morning. Pelides will be signing the charter at the Presidential Palace.
The EMGF is comprised of Cyprus, Egypt, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority. According to the announcement, the EMGF is an important initative led by Egypt which capitalises on good relations and cooperation in the Mediterranean in order to find the best ways to exploit the region’s natural resources.
Greece’s first female President in Cyprus on official visit
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Regional/ International Relations, Energy, External Security, EU Matters, Negotiations Process
OVERVIEW
Greek President Ekaterini Sakellaropoulou began her first official visit to Cyprus on Monday, the dailies report, focusing on her meeting with President Anastasiades and their statements regarding the relations of the two countries and their stance on Turkey.
Sakellaropoulou said after the meeting that her visit to the island is an indication of the joint front created by the two countries. She added that the two of them discussed the latest developments as well as the best ways for the EU to react to Turkey’s actions in order to change its behaviour.
She added that the withdrawal of the Oruc Reis from the area of Kastelorizo is a positive first step towards de-escalation, and that it now remains to be seen whether it was a tactical move or an indication that Turkey has decided to move towards de-escalation.
Regarding the Cyprus Problem, Sakellaropoulou said that Greece is ready to contribute to the return of those conditions that will allow negotiations to restart from where they stopped in July 2017. On migration, she said that a new EU policy needs to put European solidarity into practice by achieving a more equal sharing of the burden, and she pointed out that so far Greece and Cyprus were called on to take much of the weight.
Anastasiades said that the two Presidents talked about the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean and the need for respect of international law. They also noted that Turkey is an issue not only for Greece and Cyprus but also for the EU as the borders of the two countries are also the borders of the European Union. They also discussed Turkey’s threat to reopen Varosha as well as progress on finding the remains of Greek and Cypriot missing, as well as the push of illegal migration from Turkey.
Anastasiades reiterated that the current status quo must end, on the basis of UN Security Council resolutions and EU principles, adding that both welcome the UNSG’s stated intention to move forward with a new initiative on the Cyprus Problem.