Cyprus News Gazette

Cyprus is working hard over a successful Presidency of the Council of EU that would leave ‘a positive footprint,’ Marilena Raouna, Deputy Minister for European Affairs, told the parliamentary committee of Foreign and European Affairs.

Briefing the committee, Raouna said this will be the second time Cyprus assumes the EU rotating presidency twenty years following the country’s accession to the European Union. Cyprus will assume the rotating presidency in the first half of 2026.

The assumption of the presidency, she added, takes place in critical juncture for the EU following years of crises and geopolitical challenges.

Raouna said the Cypriot presidency team will be premised on the best practices which emerged during Cyprus’ first presidency in 2012 as well as from other presidencies and recalled her latest trip to Slovenia where she was briefed on the country’s preparation steps.

According to the Cypriot Deputy Minister, member-states usually begin preparations two or three years before assuming the Presi
dency while the Cypriot presidency team is up to date with regard to the timeframe set by the Secretariat of the EU Council.

Replying to questions by the committee members, Raouna said in the coming Autumn a consultation will be launched over the priorities of Cyprus with the participation of the Parliament, Non-Governmental Organisations and social partners. She added that the are some considerations over the sectors of health and employment.

On the EU-Turkish relations, Raouna referred to the recent conclusions of the European Council which, as she pointed out, give the message over a positive relation on the basis of the EU High Representative report, over with a phased, proportional and reversible relation in parallel with the progress in the efforts to resume the talks on the Cyprus problem.

‘We are not frightened by the handling of the EU-Turkish relations in the course of the Presidency, we are ready to work to promote ties in the existing framework,’ she said.

Furthermore, in statements after the
meeting, Raouna said the programme of the trio presidency, along with Poland (1st half of 2025) and Denmark (2nd half) programme is at an advanced level while consultations will begin over the drafting of the priorities of the Cypriot presidency.

‘With a vision of more and fairer Europe, we are working hard over an auspicious and successful presidency that would leave a positive footprint’

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres appointed María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar of Colombia as his personal envoy for Cyprus, to assume a Good Offices role on his behalf and search for common ground on the way forward in the Cyprus issue.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

ROME: Rome, one of the world’s oldest and most celebrated cities, on Sunday celebrated its 2,777th birthday with events to promote its historical and cultural significance.

The Historical Group of Rome (Gruppo Storico Romano), a non-profit founded in 1970 known for its activities to promote the Italian capital’s historical and cultural heritage, organized a series of events to mark the legendary city’s birthday.

Volunteers of the group dressed as soldiers, legionnaires, and senators from the era of republican and imperial Rome marched through the city center.

Starting from the Circus Maximus, the historical city’s central hippodrome area, the procession passed through significant landmarks such as Piazza Venezia, Via dei Fori Imperiali, and the ancient Colosseum, before traveling full circle to end up at the Circus Maximus.

There the public could take in visual shows on the founding of Rome, its historical development, and life in ancient Rome.

Both Romans and tourists visiting the city showed great inte
rest in the procession and shows, often stopping to snap photos.

The legendary founding of Rome by Romulus and Remus, marked as taking place on April 21, 753 BC, was proposed by the Roman scholar Marcus Terentius Varro, who lived in the first century BC.

Source: Anadolu Agency

ISTANBUL: Delegations from Trkiye and Greece conducted on Monday a new round of talks on confidence-building measures, the Turkish National Defense Ministry announced. The Greek Defense Ministry hosted the meeting.

‘Both delegations included ambassadors, high-ranking military officers, as well as other officials,’ the Turkish ministry said on X.

The two sides reviewed previously agreed measures during the ongoing year, and discussed the implementation plan for 2025, the statement said, adding: ‘The meeting was held in a positive spirit. The next meeting will be hosted by the Turkish side.”

Source: Anadolu Agency

Minister of Health Michalis Damianos departs today for Brussels where he will participate in the Informal Meeting of the EU Health Ministers Council (EPSCO HEALTH).

According to an official press release, important issues related to the health sector will be discussed, including the health workforce crisis, the security of supply of medicines and the European plan to fight cancer, with a focus on primary prevention.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

ISTANBUL: Russia on Monday said that it took control of a village in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.?

A statement by the Russian Defense Ministry said that Russian units captured the village of Novomykhailivka, located about 40 kilometers (24.8 miles) from the city of Donetsk.?

The statement further said that Russian units have improved the ‘tactical situation along the front line’ with Ukraine.?

On Sunday, Russia said that its troops took control of the city of Bohdanivka, located about 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) northeast of the city of Chasiv Yar, which Kyiv claimed Russian forces were tasked to take control of by May 9.

Ukrainian authorities have not yet commented on Russia’s claims, and independent verification of the claims is difficult due to the ongoing war.

Source: Anadolu Agency

The significant potential and great potential of wind and solar energy in the Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East (EMME) region up to 2050 is revealed in a study conducted by the Climate and Atmosphere Research Center (CARE-C) of the Cyprus Institute (CyI) and published in the prestigious journal Science of the Total Environment, noting that the region could meet most of its growing energy demand through utility-scale Renewable Energy Sources.

According to an Institute statement today, the study, utilizing a meteorological and atmospheric chemical forecasting system, provides crucial insights into the RES technical potential in all EMME countries, while by mapping hourly generation profiles per source and country, simulated starting in 2015 up to 2050, it identifies potential energy surpluses and deficits across the region.

It is added that in parallel, the study identifies four dominant wind and solar power generation patterns, providing valuable insights for energy system operators, indicating for examp
le that Greece has the potential for seamless integration into the grid, as it presents almost continuous wind power potential.

According to the study’s key findings, 89% of the projected energy demand in the EMME region by 2050 could be met by utility-scale renewable energy sources, even predicting that Egypt will emerge as a “powerhouse”, with the potential to achieve 76 GW per hour of surplus power generation and become a renewable energy hub in the region.

With regard to Cyprus, Greece and Turkey, it is stated that solar resources are highly predictable, though with substantial volatility during the winter, adding that Cyprus is expected to need storage capacity, while the UAE and Iran may face electricity deficits if they rely solely on renewables.

Overall, it is noted that wind power potential is generally low, with only limited areas meeting the required wind speed criteria, with countries such as Cyprus, Israel, and Lebanon having only 2-6 grid sites that meet the specified standards, while in cont
rast Greece, Oman, and Yemen have the highest potential for offshore wind power plants.

With regard to Cyprus in particular, it is stated that the island presents a strong inverse relationship between wind and solar energy and requires energy storage solutions.

The strong inverse relationship between wind and solar power sources observed in Cyprus can lead to reduced total generation at two tipping points, when wind power generation starts to decrease and before solar radiation starts to increase, and vice versa, creating the need for short-term energy storage systems, it is added in this regard.

According to the study’s lead author, PhD candidate Pantelis Kyriakidis, the findings of the study indicate the transformative potential for the EMME region, with the possibility of seven countries becoming net energy exporters by 2050.

He also notes that it is imperative that policy makers take into account the complementary and substitute relationships between solar and wind energy generation, as well as season
al variations, for effective energy planning.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

ANKARA: Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammed Shia al-Sudani said Monday he agreed with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to bolster security cooperation to enhance the stability of the two neighbors.

‘The security of Iraq and Trkiye is inseparable,’ al-Sudani said during a joint press conference in the capital Baghdad.

The Iraqi premier stressed that his country will not allow any group to use Iraqi territories to launch attacks against neighboring countries, referring mainly to terror group PKK.

Al-Sudani said that Iraq and Trkiye have signed 24 memoranda of understanding during Erdogan’s visit.

Source: Anadolu Agency

ISTANBUL: Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday said the trade volume between his country and Azerbaijan has exceeded $4 billion.?

‘Our trade turnover is growing: it has already reached more than $4 billion. Russian investments in the Azerbaijani economy amount to $6 billion,’ Putin said during a meeting with his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev in the capital Moscow.

Expressing that relations between Russia and Azerbaijan are ‘at a high level and are developing,’ he said the intergovernmental commission is working actively and that there are ‘many interesting areas of cooperation in the real sector of the economy.’

‘Of course, we will also talk about the situation from the point of view of ensuring security in the region. There are a lot of questions here, they are very sensitive,’ Putin further said.?

He also said that they are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the construction of the Baikal-Amur Mainline (BAM), noting the significant role of former Azerbaijani President Heyd
ar Aliyev, who is incumbent President Ilham Aliyev’s father, in the project’s development.

‘In fact, he was one of the organizers of this grandiose project, important for the entire Soviet Union. We not only know this, we remember it and are very grateful to him, we keep the memory of it,’ he added.?

The BAM is a 4,324-kilometer (2,686-mile) railway line stretching from the town of Tayshet in the Irkutsk region to the Russian Far East.?

For his part, Aliyev said that his country is very pleased with the development of relations with Russia, expressing that there is also a transport component in the agenda of their meeting.?

‘The International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) project, uniting our countries and our partners, is of global importance for the safety of cargo transportation and for stimulating trade relations between many countries,’ Aliyev said.

The INSTC is a 7,200-kilometer (4,500-mile) multi-mode network of ship, rail and road route between India, Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central As
ia and Europe.

Aliyev went on to say that regional security issues are constantly on the agenda of their meetings, indicating Russia is a ‘fundamental country’ in terms of regional security in the South Caucasus and their broader region.

Source: Anadolu Agency

The Greek Cypriot side has a specific plan on how to create positive facts for all in the Cyprus problem, President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides said on Monday, in his remarks before an event organised by the Cyprus Youth Organisation.

Asked about the latest developments in the Cyprus problem, following the conclusions of the last European Council and in view of the German President’s visit to Turkey today, the President of the Republic said that following the German President’s visit to Turkey and María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar’s visit to Paris, Brussels and Berlin, the UN Secretary-General’s personal envoy will pay a visit to Cyprus, during which, he said, two meetings between Holguín and himself have already been scheduled.

“We expect on the basis of the conclusions of the European Council, which link developments in Euro-Turkish relations with progress on the Cyprus issue, to see in practice how things will develop,” he said, adding that the Greek Cypriot side is ready and hopes that there will b
e developments, noting also that the Greek Cypriot side has a specific plan on how to create positive facts for all and expressed hope that efforts will result in the resumption of talks.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres appointed María Ángela Holguín Cuéllar of Colombia as his personal envoy for Cyprus, to assume a Good Offices role on his behalf and search for common ground on the way forward in the Cyprus issue.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

ISTANBUL: A Russian military court sentenced US tech giant Meta’s communications director to six years in prison on the charge of ‘justifying terrorism,’ state news agency TASS reported on Monday. The verdict was handed down in absentia.

Andy Stone was found guilty of committing a crime under the country’s Criminal Code by the Second Western District Military Court. He will have to serve the sentence in a general regime colony.

The court also banned Stone from administering internet resources for a period of four years.

The defendant’s lawyer said the sentence would be appealed.

In March 2022, Russia’s Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against Meta after reports that it changed rules to allow calls for violence against Russians and Russian soldiers on its platforms in the context of the Ukraine war.

Russia included Meta to its list of ‘extremist and terrorist organizations’ the same year.

Source: Anadolu Agency