Front Page Headlines
They agreed on five-party meeting, but disagreed on everything
President Anastasiades says BBF (bizonal bicommunal federation) – Tatar insists on other solutions on the table. In joint statement, Anastasiades and Tatar said they are determined to give positive response to Guterres’ commitment to investigate possibility of calling an informal five-party meeting. The two leaders avoided answering whether Ms Lute is expected on the island in the coming period, referring to Antonio Guterres who is now called to take decisions on the next step in coordination with the sides. President Anastasiades put on the table issue of ending Turkish actions in Varosha, while Ersin Tatar put hydrocarbons issue on the table.
- Occupied areas: Tension over Varosha and lack of governance flares up
- 174 cases: New measures also announced
He put forward “other solutions”
Anastasiades – Tatar agreed to disagree and leave the ball in UN’s hands. Lute’s arrival will depend on Antonio Guterres’ assessment.
- Without handshakes and with masks
- Measures in front of cabinet on three pillars: Curfew across Cyprus after 11 at night
- Over 800 in the last few days: A deluge of applications for hundreds of new passports
- 5 days for demolition of Giovanni’s two floors
They were caught lying, hiding naturalisations
Minister of Interior needed to be called to testify under oath. They gave out passports even to the in-laws of investors! 105 applications in past few days and 722 for relatives.
- Willing to go to informal five-party meeting in due course
- Active cases of COVID-19 dangerously increasing – Less than 50 respirators for COVID-19 available – They rush to prevent worst scenarios in care homes
- We do not put up with corruption, we react!
- AKEL secretary general: No deviation from BBF is acceptable. Concern over positions of the Turkish side
‘Friendly’ first leaders meeting
Anastasiades, Tatar ‘willing’ to attend five-way meeting.
- Police asked to probe actions at care home with high number of Covid cases
- Cyprus: Minister testifies at passports committee
Charity for the “poor”!
Questions over decision of Labour Ministry to approve parties’… trick. AKEL and its organisation called themselves affected businesses with a cunning tactic and collected 308,000 euros from the state, money that should have been given to businesses really affected by the coronavirus – EDEK and Democratic Alignment in on it to a lesser degree. DISY: Is AKEL morally allowed to do this?
- Huge difference in approach confirmed during first Anastasiades – Tatar meeting: They disagreed on everything, agreed on five-party meeting – Anastasiades: “I put forward bizonal federation, he said new ideas need to be discussed”. “I put forward the issue of Varosha, he put forward the issue of hydrocarbons”
- “Golden passports”: Nouris submitted the archive of naturalisations at investigative committee yesterday
- Deaths of elderly: Police investigation at Socratio Melathron
Main News
Leaders disagree on federation, say they’re open for informal conference
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Oikonomiki Kathimerini, Phileleftheros, Politis
Negotiations Process, Governance & Power Sharing, Regional/ International Relations, Territory, Energy, External Security
OVERVIEW
All dailies focus on Tuesday’s first informal meeting between President Anastasiades and new T/C leader Ersin Tatar at the residence of UNFICYP head Elizabeth Spehar, underlying that the two leaders disagreed on the prospects of a federal solution, while agreeing that they would attend an informal five-party meeting with the guarantors if UNSG Antonio Guterres decides that is necessary.
The dailies also take note of Anastasiades’ statement that he underlined the need for a federal solution while Tatar called for new options to be put on the table, as well as the G/C leader’s statement that he had brought up the issue of Varosha while Tatar brought up hydrocarbons.
Politis reports that despite the clear differences in opinion, the two leaders had a long conversation that lasted about two hours. UNSG representative Spehar was only present for a few minutes at the beginning and the end of the meeting and repeated some of the UN’s public positions, the newspaper reports.
Politis also notes that the two leaders did not set any time frame for the next steps in a possible process, and that Spehar is expected to brief the UNSG on the discussion.
Alithia notes that in a symbolic move President Anastasiades wore a black protective mask which bore the coat of arms of the Republic of Cyprus. The newspaper notes that usually Anastasiades wears a black protective mask with an orange image of the shape of Cyprus.
The UN said in a written statement after the meeting that the two leaders had a first unofficial meeting in order to get to know each other and exchange views in a friendly atmosphere. According to the statement, the two leaders expressed their determination to respond positively to the UNSG’s commitment to call an informal five-party meeting (communities and guarantors plus the UN) in due time.
In statements after the meeting President Anastasiades said that during the meeting he expressed his readiness to take part in an informal five-party meeting in accordance with what the UNSG mentioned in his letter dated October 29th, and on the basis of UN resolutions and towards a solution based on a bizonal bicommunal federation (BBF).
Responding to a question whether Guterres’ special envoy, Jane Holl Lute, will be returning to Cyprus shortly, Anastasiades said that that depends on what the UNSG himself decides.
Anastasiades said that Tatar also expressed readiness to participate, but that he set as a precondition that other ideas should be put on the table.
Anastasiades said Tatar argued that after years of discussions on the same model, it is time for alternatives. Anastasiades added that what has been agreed is that an informal five-party meeting needs to be properly prepared, and that if the T/C side has suggestions for alternative models then it needs to bring them to the UNSG itself.
Government sources told Politis that there is a low possibility that the leaders will meet again shortly, and pointed out that first Spehar needs to brief the UNSG who will decide on the next steps.
UN sources told Politis that they are not in a hurry since they are waiting to assess the leaders’ public behaviour over the next few days.
In another development, opposition AKEL secretary general Andros Kyprianou said after a meeting with Greek opposition SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras in Athens that any deviation from a BBF model with political equality as defined by the UN’s parameters and agreed on a high level between the sides is not acceptable.
In a statement on Tuesday after the meeting with Tsipras, Kyprianou said that they had a constructive discussion where both expressed their concerns regarding Turkish positions on the Cyprus Problem. Kyprianou said that the two agreed that there should be initiatives that will contribute to the resumption of negotiations as soon as possible.
Haravgi also reports that citizen movement Bicommunal Initiative for Peace – United Cyprus said in a statement that Cyprus is too small to be partitioned and that the only feasible option is reunification as a bizonal, bicommunal federation with political equality, along with the six proposals included in the Guterres Framework.
The group points out that the six points of this proposal submitted by the UNSG in Crans Montana contain the only realistic prospects for a swift result. Two of those points, the respect of the political equality of the T/Cs and the creation of a new security system are necessary ingredients for achieving a comprehensive deal, the group adds.
The initiative also calls for a moratorium from all sides on hydrocarbon exploration and called on the UNSG to push for the creation of a bicommunal technical committee on Varosha in order to prepare the return of the fenced city’s former residents under the UN’s administration.
Alithia reports that the Famagusta Bar Association has issued a statement expressing its concern over the possibility of the settlement of Varosha by the T/C side. The association points out that such a move would be a war crime, since it would contravene article 49, paragraph 6 of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949. They also note that if the RoC decides it cannot prosecute those involved in the illegal opening of Varosha, the association is ready to contribute to an appeal by the RoC to the International Criminal Court.
KEY ACTORS
UN in Cyprus
>> The two leaders had a first informal meeting to get to know each other and exchange view in friendly atmosphere
>> The leaders expressed their determination to respond positively to UNSG’s commitment to call informal five-party meeting in due time
Nicos Anastasiades
>> During meeting expressed readiness to participate in informal five-party meeting on the basis of UN resolution and towards a bizonal, bicommunal federation
>> Whether Jane Holl Lute returns to Cyprus shortly is up to UNSG
>> Tatar expressed readiness to participate in a five-way meeting, but set as precondition that other ideas should be on the table, since it is time to discuss alternatives after years of negotiations on the same model
>> If the T/C side has suggestions for alternative models, then it is the one that should bring them to the UNSG
Andros Kyprianou (AKEL)
>> Agreed during a meeting with Greek opposition leader Alexis Tsipras that any deviation from BBF is not acceptable
>> Both expressed concerns over Turkish positions on the Cyprus Problem
>> There should be initiatives that will contribute to resumption of negotiations as soon as possible
Bicommunal Initiative for Peace – United Cyprus
>> Cyprus is too small to be partitioned and only feasible option is BBF with political equality along with Guterres Framework
>> Two of the framework’s points, the respect for T/C political equality and a new security system, are necessary ingredients to comprehensive settlement
>> Call for moratorium on hydrocarbon exploration and for the UNSG to push for the creation of a bicommunal technical committee on resettlement of Varosha under UN administration
US official says Cyprus expected to deny port access to Russian navy
Cyprus Mail, Haravgi
Regional/ International Relations, External Security, EU Matters
OVERVIEW
US assistant Secretary of State for political and military affairs Clarke Cooper said on Tuesday that Cyprus has yet to take necessary measures to refuse access of Russian military ships to Cypriot ports, Haravgi reports.
During a briefing on his recent visits to Greece, Cyprus and Bulgaria, Cooper said that he had productive conversations with the Foreign Ministry and the Defence Ministry, which included the plans to train Cypriot military officials through the US International Military Education & Training (IMET) programme and the plans to export non-lethal systems and services to Cyprus.
Cyprus Mail reports that Cooper underlined that he specifically noted to the Cypriot government that the country has not yet taken the steps necessary to deny port access to Russian naval vessels. He added that this and other steps are necessary and that they are a part of the US wider Eastern Mediterranean strategy and is included in the Energy Partnership Act of 2019 which underpins regional energy cooperation.
If Cyprus were to continue in the direction of this strategy, then the US will be able to give access to defence systems that are controlled under the US International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).
Cooper pointed out that Cyprus is taking over a larger role in the Eastern Mediterranean and hence has bigger responsibilities which support the needs of the European Union and NATO. He added that for this to work, interoperability between systems is necessary, which makes it necessary to address the issue of the use of the ports by Russian military vessels.
The official also said that the US want Turkey to remain tied to the West and to continue playing its role in NATO.
KEY ACTORS
Clarke Cooper (US assistant Secretary of State)
>> Had productive conversations with Cypriot Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defence on military training cooperation and export of non-lethal systems to Cyprus
>> Specifically noted to Cypriot government that country needs to take necessary steps to deny port access to Russian military vessels
>> This and other steps are necessary and part of US Eastern Mediterranean strategy as laid out also in Energy Partnership Act of 2019
>> If Cyprus continues in this direction, US will be able to give access to defence systems controlled under the US International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR)
>> Cyprus is taking over a large role in region and hence has bigger responsibilities which support needs of EU and NATO
>> The US want Turkey to remain tied to the West and continue playing its role in NATO
New coronavirus measures to be announced due to sustained spike
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Internal Security, Human Rights
OVERVIEW
The dailies report that 174 new cases of the coronavirus have been detected in the government-controlled areas, out of a total of 4,033 lab tests, citing a government announcement. Two more cases were detected in elderly people home Socratio Melathron in Limassol and were transferred to the Reference Hospital in Famagusta.
The total number of cases detected so far in the government controlled areas has reached 4,934, including deaths and recoveries. 27 patients are being treated at the Famagusta General Hospital, 4 of which are treated in intensive care. Another 5 patients are intubated in the intensive care unit and another 10 in a special COVID-19 wing in the Nicosia General Hospital.
Phileleftheros reports that the Cabinet of Ministers will examine new measures on Wednesday in light of the increase in cases. These new measures would potentially extend up to November 16th. The proposals include a nationwide curfew after 11 at night. Other suggestions that will be presented by Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou to the Cabinet will be the closure of dining establishments at 10.30 and additional restrictions on the number of people in playgrounds for children.
According to Phileleftheros, the situation is particularly serious in Limassol where there are 400 new cases for each 100,000 citizens. The rate of of the spread of the virus remains high in Paphos and is rising in Famagusta, according to Health Ministry data.
Meanwhile 6 more cases were detected in the occupied areas after 1,789 tests. One patient exited the hospital. The total number of cases in the north, including deaths and recoveries, has reached 945. A total of 227,126 tests have been conducted.
The dailies also report that 30 police officers in Limassol had to self-isolate after 11 of them were found positive to the coronavirus. According to reports, the 11 officers did not seem to have contracted the virus while in service.