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Source: PIO, CNA

British Foreign Minister expresses UK's support to Cyprus, 17.06.13
William Hague welcomed Cypriot Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides in London today, to further strengthen ties between UK and Cyprus. The Foreign Secretary William Hague hosted Mr Kasoulides for lunch – their first formal meeting and an opportunity to further strengthen the warm and historic ties between the UK and Cyprus. Mr Kasoulides was paying his second visit to London since taking office in March. More..

Meeting of the Minister of Foreign Affairs with his British counterpart, 17.06.13
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Ioannis Kasoulides, attended a working lunch, today, in London, with his British counterpart, Mr William Hague. Mr Kasoulides was accompanied by the High Commissioner of Cyprus in Britain, Ambassador Alexandros Zenon and other officials. During the lunch, that was conducted in a friendly atmosphere, the main issues of discussion were the bilateral relations between the two countries, the Cyprus problem, the financial situation in Cyprus and energy issues. The two Ministers also reviewed the recent developments in Turkey and exchanged views on the situation in the Middle East, with particular emphasis on the Syrian crisis. More..

Announcement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the appraisal drilling in block 12 of Cyprus’ Exclusive Economic Zone, 17.6.13
It is regrettable that the Republic of Turkey continues its provocative rhetoric against the Republic of Cyprus in light of the appraisal drilling activities undertaken by “Noble Energy” in Block 12 of the Exclusive Economic Zone of the Republic of Cyprus. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejects the legally unfounded positions expressed, for one more time, by the Republic of Turkey with regard to the exercise of the sovereign right of the Republic of Cyprus to explore and exploit its natural resources within its Exclusive Economic Zone/ continental shelf (EEZ/CS). More..

Visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs to London, 14.06.13
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Ioannis Kasoulides, will travel this Sunday, June 16, to London, to meet with his British counterpart, Mr. William Hague, following an invitation by the British Minister. During a working lunch offered by Mr. Hague, the two Ministers will discuss, inter alia, the Cyprus issue, bilateral relations, energy related matters, as well as the current economic situation in Cyprus. They will also exchange views on regional issues, including the recent developments in Turkey and the situation in the Middle East, with particular emphasis on Syria. The Minister of Foreign Affairs will return to Cyprus on Tuesday, June 18.

New Ambassador of the Republic to the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, 13.06.13
The new Ambassador of the Republic to the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, based in New Delhi, Mrs Maria Michael, presented her credentials, on 10 June, to the President of the country, Mr Ram Baran Yadav, during an official ceremony held at the Presidential Palace in Kathmandu. At a private meeting with President Yadav, following the credentials’ ceremony, Ambassador Michael conveyed the greetings of the President, the Government and the people of Cyprus and expressed the gratitude of the Cyprus Government regarding the position of principles that the Government of Nepal maintains, over the years, on the Cyprus problem, as well as the respect that it shows towards the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus. More..

Announcement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 10.06.13
In the last session of the Council of Europe’s (CoE) Committee of Ministers (Human Rights configuration) held in Strasbourg on 4-6 June 2013, the issues of property rights of displaced and enclaved Greek Cypriots were discussed. The discussions were in the framework of the monitoring process for the implementation of the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in the Fourth Interstate Application of Cyprus against Turkey. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses its satisfaction with the Decision adopted, which, despite Turkey’s efforts, does not include a provision for termination of the monitoring. On the contrary, the discussion was postponed to ascertain the practical effectiveness of the claimed Turkish measures and the possibility - or not - of the enclaved Greek Cypriots and their heirs to maintain and / or regain their property, irrespective of where they reside. More..

Interview of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Ioannis Kasoulides, to CNA, 07.06.13
There has been no discussion on a possible return of the Turkish occupied fenced-off town of Famagusta to its legal inhabitants in exchange for allowing direct flights to and from the illegal Tymbou airport, in Cyprus’ northern Turkish occupied areas, Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides has said. This issue is not under discussion, he told CNA in an interview, adding that the Greek Cypriot side has never raised such an issue. “Right now what we have is our proposal on this issue, which we believe will help the talks significantly if Famagusta is returned to its legal citizens. Once other issues come up we will look into them, he added. More..

Foreign Affairs Minister met French Minister of European Affairs, 05.06.13
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Ioannis Kasoulides, who is on an official visit to France, had a working lunch yesterday with the Minister of European Affairs, Mr Thierry Repentin. The discussion between the two ministers focused on European matters such as the EU-budget, migration issues within the framework of Schengen, the Southern Neighborhood, EU enlargement to the West Balkans and matters regarding Turkey’s EU accession process. In view of the preparations for the 27-28 June EU Council dedicated to growth, issues were discussed related to the banking union and the enhancement of the economic and monetary union. Messrs Kasoulides and Repentin also discussed the implementation of the rescue package for Cyprus.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of France, 03.06.13
The financial situation in Cyprus, the Cyprus problem, the developments in the European Union and the Eurozone, the latest initiatives of the French President for the EU, euro-turkish issues and bilateral relations were at the centre of talks that the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Ioannis Kasoulides, had today afternoon at the French Foreign Ministry with his French counterpart, Mr Laurent Fabius, during a working visit to Paris. The developments in the Middle East and the wider south-eastern Mediterranean region, regional matters and energy issues were also discussed, with special emphasis on the situation in Syria and in Mali. More..

Visit to Paris of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, 31.05.13
The Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Ioannis Kasoulides will depart on Monday, 3 June, for a three day visit to Paris. During the first day of his visit, Minister Kasoulides will meet with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of France, Mr. Laurent Fabius. Issues on the agenda of the two Ministers will include, among others, bilateral relations, the Cyprus problem, the economic crisis in Eurozone, the current developments in the Middle East and the wider region of Eastern Mediterranean, as well as regional and energy related issues. Furthermore, the two Ministers will exchange views on the preparations of the visit of the President of the Republic of Cyprus Mr. Nicos Anastasiades to Paris, to be held on 12 June. Afterwards, Mr. Kasoulides will meet with the Diplomatic Advisor of the French President, Mr. Paul Jean-Ortiz. On Tuesday, 4 June, the Minister of Foreign Affairs will hold separate meetings with the Secretary General of the International Organization of La Francophone, Mr. Abdou Diouf, and the President of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the French Parliament, Mrs Elizabeth Guigou. Mr Kasoulides will also have a working lunch with the French Minister for European Affairs Mr. Thierry Repentin. The Minister of Foreign Affairs will participate in a dinner organized by the Ambassador of Cyprus to Paris, in the presence of members of the France-Cyprus Parliamentary Friendship Group of the French Parliament and Senate. In the margins of the visit, Mr Kasoulides will deliver a keynote speech during a public lecture organized by the “IFRI – Institute Francais des Relations Internationales” and will be interviewed by representatives of local and international media. The Minister of Foreign Affairs will return back to Cyprus on Wednesday, 5 June.

The 11th Regional Meeting of National Authorities of States Parties in Asia of the OPCW took place in Nicosia, 31.05.13
The 11th Regional Meeting of National Authorities of States Parties in Asia of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) took place on 28-30 May in Nicosia. Representatives of States of the Asian Regional Group participated in the meeting which was organised by the Technical Secretariat of the OPCW in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus. It is the first meeting of its kind to be hosted in Cyprus. More..

Signing of an Agreement on Technical Arrangements for facilitations in crisis management in the Middle East area between Cyprus and Spain, 30.05.13
The Republic of Cyprus and Spain signed yesterday an Agreement on Technical Arrangements for facilitations in crisis management in the Middle East area with the Government of Spain, in the framework of tackling and managing the crises in the Middle East area. With the Agreement on Technical Arrangements, Cyprus and Spain enhance their cooperation on issues of security. This Agreement constitutes a tangible proof of the stabilizing role of the Republic of Cyprus in the region. It is reiterated that a similar agreement on crisis management in the Middle East area was signed between Cyprus and Canada on 4 April 2013. The Spanish delegation also had a meeting with the Minister of Defence, Mr Fotis Fotiou, during which issues were discussed of general interest, as well as issues that fall within the competence of the Ministries of the two countries. The Agreement was signed by the Deputy Permanent Secretary/Political Director of Cyprus’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Euripides L. Evirviades, and General Ramon Prieto of the Spanish Army of the Minister of Defence.






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