Cyprus still ‘top priority’ for Athens

July 7, 2012 | Filed under: Featured News,Geopolitics

The Cyprus problem remains Greece’s “top foreign policy priority,” Foreign Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos said on Sunday, arriving on the divided island on the day the Republic of Cyprus assumed the rotating presidency of the European Union.

Avramopoulos, who met with his counterpart Erato Kozakou-Markoulli, told reporters at Larnaca airport that he was maintaining the position of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras in his stance toward Cyprus.

The government in Nicosia has its work cut out for it by undertaking the EU’s presidency as negotiations continue for a foreign bailout package to prop up its banks and economy. President Dimitris Christofias told state television NET on Saturday that Cyprus would seek rescue funding from the EU but stopped short of giving a figure. It was unclear whether Nicosia would seek additional funding from other nations. Deputy Minister for European Affairs Andreas Mavroyiannis told Cyprus Mail that Nicosia was facing “one of its biggest challenges as an EU member state, but also as a state,” and compared the EU presidency to a “maturity test” for the country.

Source: ekathimerini.com

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  • Eric R.

    Can somebody tell me how much of a role Russia will play in keeping Cyprus solvent? I know that they have promised US$3 billion as a temporary measure, and they have many thousands of ex-pats living there now. How much more would Putin do? And what does he expect in return? Maybe one of the British bases?

    • Prometheus41

      Why not ?
      What makes the British any better than the British ?

      • Prometheus41

        “typo” should read …….than the Russians

    • http://www.facebook.com/Phoevos Dean Plassaras

      No role whatsoever. This is for leverage vis-a-vis negotiations with the EU re:financial aid terms. The more options you have the better bargain you drive.

    • kasomoulis

      Eric, you are concerned about the wrong issues: Hmm, just think of the possibility. Actually this idea may not be as bad! Hmm….a Russian base on the Island to replace one of the current British bases may actually bring true balance of power to the EM.
      By the way, Cyprus if the deal works, will get E5B from Russia at unbelievably low interest! Not E3B.
      Anyway, Dean explained it adequately, this may just be a clever diplomacy twist by the Cypriot president to test Russia’s will and justify his turning west. Then again he may be testing the EU (and keep out IMF) for a better deal! Either way it is win-win for Cyprus!

  • http://www.facebook.com/Phoevos Dean Plassaras
  • http://www.facebook.com/Phoevos Dean Plassaras
  • http://www.facebook.com/Phoevos Dean Plassaras

    We have a new Greek station in Istanbul. Care to listen?

    http://tunein.com/tuner/?StationId=165357&

  • Eric R.

    This might be worth a thread on its own, but I will post it here for starters – UK, Israel and Turkey conduct naval exercises off Cyprus – but only two of those countries had the permission of Cyprus. You only get one guess as to which country did not have permission…

    http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=277340