Josep Borrell due in Cyprus this week

EU High Representative, Josep Borrell, is expected on the island later this week for meetings with President Nicos Anastasiades and other state officials.

Borrell is expected to pay Cyprus a visit on June 25 and 26 for a series of meetings with the president, Foreign Minister, Nikos Christodoulides, and Defence Minister, Savvas Angelides.

The focus of the meetings is expected to be on Turkey’s activities in Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone and EU-Turkish relations in view of the EU Foreign Affairs Council that will take place on July 13.

Borrell will have a tete-a-tete meeting with Christodoulides to be followed by extended talks between delegations of the two sides and statements to the press.

During his meeting with the defence minister, issues related to Cyprus’ participation in the EU Permanent Structured Cooperation (Pesco) will be discussed.

Borrell will fly to Cyprus from Athens where he will hold talks with the Greek government.

Turkish drill ship Yavuz arrived last April in the exclusive economic zone (ΕΕΖ) of Cyprus, after Ankara announced another attempt to drill a well in blocks licensed to European companies. This is the sixth time Turkey has attempted to drill within the EEZ and continental shelf of the Republic of Cyprus, this time in an area that covers part of exploration blocks 6 and 7, which have been licensed to ENI and Total.

In a statement on May 15, EU foreign ministers said they deplored the fact that Turkey has not yet responded to EU calls to cease such activities and reiterated their call on Ankara to show restraint, refrain from such actions, and respect the sovereignty and sovereign rights of Cyprus, in accordance with international law.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.