US envoy Steve Witkoff will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday after what a US official called “constructive” talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Norway, as President Donald Trump said it was time for Ukraine to end the war.
The US official said Ukraine brought forward new ideas and proposals to the Oslo talks, which also involved the leaders of Norway and Finland and European and NATO representatives, and that participants made “meaningful progress” toward a coordinated approach to engaging Russia.
The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the talks covered “key elements of a comprehensive peace framework,” including security guarantees for Ukraine, a post-war economic plan and a broader European security architecture.
Witkoff would aim to “create a pathway toward direct trilateral and broader multilateral negotiations,” the official said.
Ukraine seeks stronger security guarantees
Zelenskiy travelled to Oslo seeking to repair relations with Washington, which have sunk to new lows as Trump has courted Moscow. Kyiv has complained that Washington has withheld vital military support and intelligence.
Zelenskiy told a news conference after the Oslo meeting and an earlier phone call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio that Ukraine was again receiving early warnings of Russian missile attacks.
“Now it works, it’s great,” he said, adding he and Rubio had discussed supplies of Patriot missile interceptors as well as the satellite-based Starlink system, which Kyiv complained had stopped working when mounted on fast-moving objects such as drones.
Trump’s recent gestures toward Moscow, including a deal to buy Russian diesel and a waiver of new sanctions, sparked bipartisan pushback in the US Congress and worry in European capitals.
Zelenskiy said he had discussed “Article 5-like” security guarantees, referring to the NATO stipulation that an attack on one ally is an attack on all.
“I am thankful to the American side that they underlined again that it will be strong,” he said.
Zelenskiy reiterated that Ukraine hoped to discuss key issues on how to end the war during a trilateral meeting of leaders of Ukraine, Russia and the US.
Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere told the news conference the Oslo meeting had been good and constructive, while Finnish President Alexander Stubb added: “I think the (peace) process is back on track.”
Washington has denied deliberately hindering Ukraine’s war effort. But Trump has repeatedly rebuked Zelenskiy, and called for him to be replaced.
On Tuesday, Trump called on Ukraine to make a deal to settle the war, and said Moscow wanted to get it done. “Ukraine has to want to settle this war,” he told reporters.
Trump suggested Moscow had the upper hand in the fight because “Russia is a big machine — they just keep grinding forward, and that’s what they’ve done. They’ve taken a very large piece of land.”
US missiles to Ukraine on hold?
The US under Trump has largely stopped providing weapons directly to Ukraine but lets European countries buy US weaponry on Kyiv’s behalf under a program known as Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL). It has also provided intelligence and technology that Europe cannot match.
A source familiar with the matter said most weapons deliveries under PURL continued to flow, but US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had not approved Ukraine’s latest requests for Patriot interceptors.
Rubio acknowledged on Tuesday that a consignment of interceptors bought by European countries for Ukraine may not have been delivered, but denied that the US had changed policy.
“There has not been some deliberate political directive to go out and harm Ukraine,” he said on a visit to India.
Hegseth told reporters US policy toward Ukraine had not changed and stressed the need to maintain US stockpiles. “Certainly, with things like interceptors, we want to make sure our guys have the most possible as well,” he said.
He also said Washington had not pulled back Ukraine’s ability to access Starlink, which is owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, and appeared to signal that the problem rested with corporate terms of service Kyiv needed to comply with.
Musk has said Starshield, the military-grade version of SpaceX’s Starlink communications system, is controlled by the US government and any limits on its use are ultimately up to Trump.
Tuesday’s Wall Street Journal cited US officials and people familiar with the matter as saying that Musk ordered the slowdown after consulting with Trump and other administration officials. Reuters reported earlier that the order to limit the service came from the White House.
US missile deliveries and Starlink restrictions questioned
While US ties with Ukraine have deteriorated, Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukrainian cities, particularly targeting power stations and fuel, despite a call from Trump for both sides to spare each other’s energy systems.
Russia bombarded cities in western Ukraine overnight, targeting electricity systems and knocking out power across swathes of the country that had previously been spared.
Ukraine held back for several days last week from hitting Russian oil refineries in deference to Trump’s request, but has resumed strikes after Russia showed no sign of complying. Both sides have also struck data centres.
Trump has repeatedly condemned Ukrainian attacks on Russia while saying little about Russia’s far more severe attacks on Ukraine.
Russia hits cargo vessels
Russia’s defence ministry said on Tuesday it struck three cargo vessels in Ukraine’s port of Reni and two other cargo vessels en route to Odesa. Russian forces also hit two logistics hubs, it said.
Energy facilities were attacked in seven Ukrainian regions overnight, knocking out power, and the western Lviv region was struck again during the day. Russian drones also struck an energy facility in Kyiv on Tuesday, mayor Vitali Klitschko said, with authorities saying power was out in four districts.
The deterioration of US-Ukraine relations began 10 days ago when Trump lifted sanctions on Russian diesel in a deal agreed with Putin. Trump said this would help reduce high fuel prices that have upset US voters ahead of midterm elections on November 3.
At the weekend, Trump issued a broad waiver of tougher sanctions on Russia that were meant to have begun this week.
Alpha Bank purchased 1,157,429 of its own shares for €4.88 million during the week ending October 16, as part of its ongoing share buyback programme, the lender has announced.
The shares were traded on Euronext Athens between October 12 and October 16, at an average purchase price of €4.2187 per share, with the total consideration amounting to €4,882,845.72.
The bank’s announcement, published on October 20, follows an earlier update dated July 31 and relates to a buyback programme approved by its annual general meeting on June 26, 2026.
The transaction details listed in the announcement record the purchase on October 15, when all 1,157,429 shares were acquired at an average price of €4.2187.
The shares were purchased at prices ranging from €4.199 to €4.24.
Following the latest purchases, Alpha Bank holds 15,758,061 of its own shares, representing 0.70 per cent of its total share capital.
Partly cloudy conditions and isolated light showers are expected across Cyprus on Wednesday, with temperatures reaching 28C along the coast.
According to the Meteorological Service, weak high pressure is affecting the region.
Cloud cover will increase locally at intervals throughout the day, with isolated light rain possible.
Winds will blow mainly from the northwest to northeast, light to moderate at 3 to 4 Beaufort, occasionally strengthening to 4 to 5 Beaufort in some areas. The sea will be calm to slightly rough.
Temperatures will reach 27C inland, around 28C along the coast and 15C in the higher mountains.
On Wednesday night, the weather will be mainly clear, although increased high cloud is expected at times. Winds will remain northwesterly to northeasterly, light to moderate at 3 to 4 Beaufort, while the sea will be calm to slightly rough.
Temperatures will drop to around 16C inland and along the northern coast, 18C along the remaining coastal areas and 9C in the higher mountains.
On Thursday, increased high cloud is expected at intervals, while Friday and Saturday will be mainly clear. Light dust may occasionally be present in the atmosphere.
Temperatures are forecast to rise gradually over the coming days, reaching levels close to or slightly above the seasonal average.
Despite the 8.4 per cent decline from the €360.1m recorded during the first three months of the year, total betting activity was still 11 per cent higher than the €298.1m reported in the corresponding quarter of 2025.
More importantly for operators, gross gaming revenue, which represents the amount retained after paying out player winnings, increased by 24 per cent year-on-year to €46.9m, compared with €37.9m a year earlier.
The figure was also higher than the €45.9m recorded in the previous quarter, meaning that bookmakers earned more from a smaller volume of bets.
As a result, the proportion of wagers retained by operators rose to approximately 14.2 per cent, compared with 12.7 per cent in the preceding quarter. These earnings do not represent net profits, as operating costs and other expenses have not been deducted.
The island ranked behind Croatia, which recorded 24.5 nights per inhabitant, and Malta, with 21.7, placing Cyprus among the EU countries where tourism activity is highest relative to the resident population.
Greece followed with 15.1 nights per inhabitant, while Austria recorded 14.6, the report added.
Across the EU, tourism intensity averaged 7.0 nights per resident in 2025, up from 6.7 in 2024.
At the other end of the scale, Romania recorded the lowest figure, at 1.6 nights per inhabitant, followed by Latvia at 2.7, and Poland and Slovakia, both at 2.9.
The figures come as the EU recorded 3.1 billion nights spent in tourist accommodation establishments in 2025, up 4.1 per cent from 3.0 billion in 2024.
Paphos hoteliers association president Evripides Loizides warned on Tuesday that immediate action was needed to strengthen the island’s promotion abroad, particularly as competition intensifies and uncertainty continues to weigh on holiday decisions.
Speaking to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), Loizides said “the 2026 summer season had started strongly, only for the war and its wider consequences to disrupt demand and leave hotels facing considerable losses.”
As a result, hotel occupancy during the three summer months and through September was approximately 7 per cent lower than in the corresponding period of 2025.
However, he explained that “the difficulties facing the hotel industry extended beyond weaker demand, with increasing competition from short-term holiday rentals and accommodation in the occupied area, adding further pressure on established businesses.”
The meeting focused on the island’s growing role in European chess and plans to build on the progress made since Freedom became the general partner of the Cyprus Chess Federation in 2023.
“In three years, Cyprus has become one of Europe’s chess hubs, and we want to keep building on that,” Turlov said.
“It was important for us to present our plans for chess on the island to the President, and we are grateful for his time and attention to the game,” he added.
Turlov, who is also the founder and chief executive of Freedom Holding Corp, was elected FIDE president on September 26 at the federation’s congress in Samarkand.
Celebrated every year on October 20, European Statistics Day aims to raise awareness of the role official statistics play in understanding the economy and society, the CBC said in an announcement.
The bank stated that statistics also help provide a clearer picture of the complexity of the world, with figures encountered in everyday life covering everything from interest rates on loans and deposits to card payments, investments and external transactions.
“These numbers are not just data, they are information that helps citizens, businesses and decision-makers make informed decisions,” the CBC said.
Speaking at the 10th Annual Capital Link International Shipping Forum in Pudong on Tuesday, October 20, Hadjimanolis joined Greek Maritime Affairs Minister Vassilis Kikilias for a ministerial discussion on the challenges facing global shipping, from investment and regulation to decarbonisation.
With shipowners facing growing pressure to modernise their fleets, she stressed that governments must provide the certainty businesses need to make long-term investment decisions.
“In today’s changing maritime landscape, competitiveness depends on stability, predictability and the ability to adapt,” Hadjimanolis said, adding that “Cyprus is committed to providing a reliable business environment that supports investment and long-term growth.”
The initiative centres on Synesgy, an ESG assessment platform developed by the international CRIF group, which allows companies to evaluate their sustainability performance and that of their supply chains.
The association explained that Artemis had prepared the market through nationwide information campaigns and presentations for Cypriot businesses and economic stakeholders before European requirements were introduced locally.
The aim was to show businesses of all sizes that ESG criteria were not merely a formal obligation, but a strategic tool for improving competitiveness, accessing finance and supporting long-term sustainability.
Held under the theme “The World in 2027: The New Global Landscape for Business, Economics and Security”, the event will bring together political leaders, diplomats, business executives, academics and international experts to examine developments shaping the global economy and security environment.
The discussions will focus on how geopolitical shifts, economic pressures and emerging technologies are influencing decisions by governments, companies and investors ahead of 2027.
The data showed that 92.7 million people across the EU were at risk of poverty or social exclusion, equivalent to just over one in five residents.
Cyprus is counted as a single statistical region because of its size, while other EU member states are divided into multiple regions for the purposes of the comparison.
The figures therefore place Cyprus below the bloc-wide average, although they do not reveal differences in poverty and social exclusion between individual districts or communities on the island.
The 8th Cyprus-Israel Business & Investment Summit brought together representatives of the two countries to explore ways of strengthening commercial ties, attracting investment and helping companies establish a presence in European markets.
Among the speakers, Invest Cyprus CEO Marios Tannousis presented the island as a strategic gateway to the European Union, particularly for Israeli companies considering relocating operations, establishing regional headquarters or expanding their activities abroad.
He linked these opportunities to the government’s Vision 2035 strategy, which seeks to strengthen Cyprus’ competitiveness through research, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship, while attracting more international businesses and skilled professionals.
The awards are open to solutions from the public sector, private sector and civil society across DCO member states and worldwide, recognising the use of technology and innovation to accelerate digital transformation and promote a more inclusive, sustainable and prosperous digital economy.
Under the theme “Building the Future, Today”, the second edition will highlight initiatives that are already shaping the digital future by improving access to services, empowering people and communities, supporting business growth, advancing innovation and broadening participation in the digital economy.
The bank acquired the shares on Euronext Athens between October 8 and October 15, at a weighted average price of €16.2581 per share, according to an official announcement.
The total cost of the purchases was €5,365,183.50, the bank reported.
The largest daily purchase took place on October 8, when the bank bought 105,000 shares at an average price of €16.1527, spending €1,696,033.50.
“The labour market is a key indicator of an economy’s resilience and prospects, as it is closely linked to growth, productivity and social welfare,” said Marios Polemidiotis, a member of the CBC’s Economic Analysis and Monetary Policy Division.
In the CBC’s October 2026 Economic Brief, Polemidiotis said Cyprus had maintained a resilient labour market despite successive external shocks since the pandemic, including the energy crisis, inflationary pressures, tighter financial conditions and persistent geopolitical uncertainty.
“Unemployment declined to a historic low of 3.6 per cent of the labour force in the second quarter of 2026, employment continues to expand, inflows of foreign workers remain significant, and labour force participation among Cypriots has been maintained at high levels,” he said.
The scholarships, offering a combined €30,000, are available for the 2026-2027 academic year and have been established in memory of Dr Christiana Kouta.
According to the official announcement, the funding covers postgraduate programmes involving full-time or part-time in-person attendance, whether at universities in Cyprus or abroad.
To qualify, applicants must hold Cypriot citizenship and a university degree with a minimum grade of 6.5 out of 10, equivalent to an Upper Second-Class Honours degree of 60 per cent, a GPA of 3.0 out of 4.0, or 13 out of 20 for graduates of French universities.
The analysis covered 1,956 recorded sale agreements worth €606.4 million between July and September, with Paphos increasing its share of transactions from 12.8 per cent in the second quarter to 17 per cent, while Limassol’s share of total transaction value climbed to 40.5 per cent.
“The more revealing story lies in how that activity was redistributed,” said Andreas Christophorides, founder and chief executive of Landbank Group.
“Limassol strengthened its share of total transaction value, Paphos gained ground by number of sales, while Nicosia continued to play an important role in new developments despite its lower relative share,” he added.
The company’s board of directors unanimously approved the distribution in a written resolution shared on the Cyprus Stock Exchange (CSE), based on management accounts as at September 30, 2026.
Enteca said its current financial and cash position, together with its retained earnings, allowed it to proceed with the payment after taking account of its future commitments.
The dividend will be paid to holders of Class B shares recorded with the CSE on October 29, which is the record date for determining eligible shareholders.
The proposed arrangements, announced on Tuesday, aim to restructure existing debt, improve financing terms and provide funding facilities to group companies, according to a notice issued by the company.
The meeting will take place at 12.30pm at the Hilton Nicosia hotel, with shareholders asked to approve and ratify a series of financing agreements, guarantees and other arrangements connected with the restructuring.
The framework agreement involves Louis plc, Louis Hotels Public Company Limited, Clin Company Limited, the Bank of Cyprus and other parties.
According to the reporting, the move forms part of FxPro’s strategy to align its business structure with its longer-term growth plans, with the group indicating that its Cyprus operations account for a relatively small part of its overall business.
Peter Aust, chief operating officer of FxPro, told the publication that the group’s expansion in recent years had been driven predominantly by markets outside Europe, which have become its main growth engines.
The group, he explained, intends to concentrate investment, resources and innovation on those international markets, while maintaining its existing ownership, leadership and broader strategy.
Cyprus promoted its business environment and opportunities in financial technology at an international blockchain summit held in Washington and New York between September 29 and October 2, with government representatives taking part in discussions on digital assets, regulation and cross-border innovation.
The Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry represented the Republic of Cyprus through its New York Trade Centre at the summit, entitled The Future of Money, Governance, and the Law 2026.
The event was organised by the international non-profit Government Blockchain Association and brought together senior policymakers, business leaders, investors and technology specialists.
Discussions focused on the implications of artificial intelligence, blockchain and quantum computing for international governance and financial infrastructure, alongside regulatory frameworks and digital assets.
During the summit, the New York Trade Centre operated an information stand to present Cyprus as a European business hub and outline its prospects in innovation and financial technology, commonly known as fintech.
The revised data show economic growth of 6 per cent in 2023, up from the previous estimate of 3.6 per cent, while growth for 2024 was revised upwards from 3.9 per cent to 6.6 per cent.
For 2025, the growth rate was revised from 3.8 per cent to 4.8 per cent, placing Cyprus second among the EU’s 27 member states, according to the government.
By comparison, the EU economy grew by 1.4 per cent in 2025 and the eurozone by 1.2 per cent, meaning Cyprus expanded at more than three times the EU average.
Speaking to media on the sidelines of an event marking European Statistics Day, Keravnos commented on the latest relief package to tackle the rising cost of living and on whether the government plans additional measures.
He said authorities are monitoring the support measures announced, adding that a first assessment by the Consumer Protection Service shows a 5 per cent drop in the prices of some essential items.
But asked whether still climbing energy prices have already neutralised the effect of the relief measures, Keravnos said that under the circumstances one should not expect significant decreases.
Artificial intelligence can produce convincing messages and imitate empathy, but it cannot replace the trust and personal relationships that underpin the shipping industry, according to WISTA Cyprus vice-president Maria Theodosiou, who has questioned the growing reliance on technology for human communication.
Writing on her personal platform, Theodosiou reflected on a contradiction she sees emerging in modern leadership, where businesses invest considerable effort in developing communication and emotional intelligence while increasingly allowing AI to speak on their behalf.
Her comments followed a three-hour workshop titled ‘The Art of Leadership’, organised by WISTA Cyprus and delivered by Sofia Rizou, during which participants explored emotional intelligence, body language, communication and the influence of words through interactive exercises and role-playing.
The experience prompted Theodosiou to consider how much time people devote to understanding one another, particularly through their choice of words, tone and behaviour.
“We spend countless hours learning how to communicate more effectively,” she said, explaining that people work on everything from facial expressions and gestures to storytelling and emotional intelligence because words shape relationships, influence emotions and build trust.
However, despite recognising the importance of these skills, she pointed out that “we are increasingly willing to hand over our communication to artificial intelligence,” raising questions about what might be lost in the process.
The issue has become particularly interesting to Theodosiou as she progresses through MIT’s AI-Driven Leadership programme, which examines the impact of emerging technologies on organisations and the way they are managed.
While studying the possibilities offered by AI, she has also been considering the qualities that distinguish human leadership from technological capability.
As she explained, “We invest in developing the deeply human skills that make us effective leaders, while simultaneously embracing technology capable of imitating those very skills.”
Indeed, although AI can already produce persuasive writing and carefully structured messages, Theodosiou questioned whether such capabilities amount to genuine understanding.
“AI can write beautifully, structure compelling narratives and even simulate empathy,” she observed, before asking whether it could genuinely connect with people or recreate the warmth, vulnerability, intuition and trust that develop through personal interaction.
Her answer was clear, as she does not believe technology can reproduce those experiences, regardless of how sophisticated its communication becomes.
For Theodosiou, this distinction goes to the heart of what leadership should involve, particularly when dealing with people whose trust cannot be secured simply through well-chosen words.
“Leadership, after all, is not simply about delivering the right message,” she said, stressing that it also concerns “how we conduct ourselves, the relationships we build and how we make others feel.”
The discussion is especially relevant to shipping, where the adoption of AI and digital technologies is changing procurement, logistics, operational planning and supply-chain management.
Although these developments can improve efficiency and support decision-making, commercial relationships across the maritime sector continue to depend on the ability of people to work together, resolve problems and build confidence over time.
Theodosiou has previously made a similar argument about the industry’s technological development, placing people ahead of digital systems and artificial intelligence.
Earlier, she maintained that the sector could succeed by “investing in people first, digital frameworks second, and AI third, in that order,” reflecting her belief that technology should support professional expertise rather than replace it.
Her latest reflections take that position further, focusing on the personal connections that sustain maritime businesses even as more activities become automated.
Theodosiou explained that the question is particularly relevant to the maritime, shipping and ship-supply industries, “where trust, collaboration, adaptability and practical expertise remain essential across the supply chain.”
The workshop itself also reflected the importance of these qualities, with Rizou drawing on interactive learning techniques to demonstrate how communication, emotional awareness and behaviour influence relationships.
Rizou’s wider work in maritime training includes Seafarers Boost, an initiative using theatre-based techniques to help maritime professionals develop communication skills, confidence and emotional resilience.
For Theodosiou, however, embracing technology and preserving human connection need not be competing objectives. Rather, the challenge lies in understanding where AI can be useful and where personal judgement and interaction remain essential.
“The future will undoubtedly be shaped by technology and AI,” she said, maintaining that the strongest leaders will be those who combine technological tools with “empathy, judgement, communication and the ability to build lasting relationships.”
She therefore left readers with a question that extends beyond shipping and into the future of leadership itself, “As AI becomes better at finding the right words, will we become better at understanding their human impact?”
Greek banks are among Europe’s strongest performers in reducing credit risk costs, although their levels remain among the highest on the continent, according to an analysis by Morningstar DBRS warning that renewed interest rate pressures could test lenders over the next 12 to 18 months.
Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal have recorded the sharpest reductions since 2024, continuing a trend that began in 2022, the agency reported this week.
The average European banking sector cost of credit risk fell to 25 basis points in the first half of 2026, from 30 basis points in 2025, 28 in 2024, 36 in 2023 and 49 in 2019.
Among Greece’s four largest banks, the National Bank of Greece recorded the lowest credit risk cost, followed by Piraeus, Eurobank and Alpha Bank.
Despite the improvement, Greek and Spanish banks continue to report the highest aggregate credit risk costs among the countries examined, followed by British and French lenders.
The analysis found signs of a possible reversal, with 29 of the 53 banks in its sample reporting higher credit risk costs in the first half of 2026 than in 2025, while only six recorded net reversals of provisions.
Credit costs continue to decline in southern Europe and Ireland, but have started rising in northern and central Europe, including Britain, France, the Netherlands and Sweden.
In Austria and Belgium, credit risk costs almost doubled in the first half of 2026 compared with 2025, although the Austrian increase was largely attributed to Erste and changes to provisioning models following its acquisition of Santander Polska.
Morningstar DBRS said the deterioration in asset quality expected after the 2022-2023 interest rate increases had not materialised, with credit losses remaining limited even after the European Central Bank’s key rate peaked at 4 per cent.
It attributed this resilience to stronger bank balance sheets, tighter lending standards, lower household borrowing and robust employment, while pressure was concentrated in commercial property, highly indebted businesses and selected sectors.
However, the agency expects credit risk costs to rise moderately over the next 12 to 18 months amid renewed interest rate and inflation pressures, geopolitical uncertainty, potential energy supply disruptions linked to the Middle East and slower economic activity.
European banks are considered sufficiently capitalised, liquid and profitable to absorb a potential increase in credit losses, but Greek lenders face the challenge of continuing to converge towards lower European credit risk levels.
Nicosia has reduced non charged water use to 22 per cent, well below the Cyprus average of 33 per cent, district governor Constantinos Yiorkadjis said on Tuesday, describing water conservation as one of the organisation’s most significant achievements.
Speaking at an event marking two and a half years of the Nicosia district local government organisation (EOA), Yiorkadjis said the district’s performance was also better than the European average of 25 per cent.
“In a country suffering from water scarcity, this is probably the organisation’s greatest achievement,” he said.
He explained that non charged water includes losses through leaks.
Yiorkadjis said Nicosia accounted for approximately 40 per cent of the country’s water use, adding that the difference between the district’s performance and the national average represented an estimated 14 million cubic metres of water saved annually.
Installation of smart waters meters continues
He said approximately 27 million cubic metres of water flowed through the district’s networks each year.
The organisation is also proceeding with the installation of 72,000 smart water meters, of which 1,836 are already operational.
Four new reservoirs have also been constructed, increasing water supply reserves in certain areas of Nicosia from 36 to 44 hours, allowing additional time for repairs when supply is interrupted.
Yiorkadjis also announced progress on efforts to recover treated wastewater from the Mia Milia treatment plant in the occupied north.
He said “contractors were currently working inside the buffer zone, beneath Turkish military observation posts, to repair a sewage pipeline that collapsed approximately 18 months ago and install a return pipeline”.
EOA increasing services in other sectors
The district operates three wastewater treatment plants producing nearly 50,000 cubic metres of treated water daily for irrigation, but only around 24 per cent is currently utilised.
“With the establishment of the EOA, we sought and succeeded in securing the return of part of the water produced at the Mia Milia plant,” he said, describing the development as a major benefit for district residents.
Addressing flooding problems, Yiorkadjis said the organisation now had unified responsibility for planning and implementing flood prevention measures across the district.
An additional charge of 0.05 per thousand on sewerage bills is expected to generate between €2 million and €2.5 million annually, which will be invested in flood prevention infrastructure.
“These funds will be used every year to repair and construct flood protection projects,” he said.
Work has already begun on repairing the enclosed Kotsirkas river channel, while projects in the Apoel area are planned for next year, followed by interventions in Engomi after the completion of relevant studies.
Yiorkadjis said the organisation was now issuing more building permits than the number of new applications received, following the consolidation of 12 separate licensing authorities.
Before July 2024, permits were being issued at a rate equivalent to approximately 70 per cent of incoming applications, resulting in a backlog of more than 12,000 cases.
The current rate has reached approximately 130 per cent, which he said would gradually reduce outstanding applications and accelerate the licensing process.
Between July 1, 2024 and September 30, 2026, the organisation issued 31,242 permits, including 1,479 in September alone.
The EOA has also begun inspecting approximately 1,400 potentially dangerous buildings across the district, supported by a dedicated team and a publicly accessible website updated daily.
Yiorkadjis said the organisation had inherited responsibility for dangerous buildings without an established administrative structure or budget.
The district authority currently manages eight green points and is planning another five. Operating hours have been extended, while additional categories of materials are now accepted to meet the needs of agricultural communities.
Five citizen service centres will operate across the district, including offices in Athalassa, Alambra, Evrychou, Palaichori and Kato Pyrgos.
After years of high expectations about the gas finds in the Cyprus EEZ, everyone is starting to understand that no decision taken by the oil industry is straightforward. It was always like this, but the politicians and other opinion-makers, either through ignorance or design, created the impression that the cash would roll in and before long we would see our standard of living soar.
It has not happened, despite the marketing agreements the Anastasiades government had signed and the much-trumpeted trilateral agreements with neighbouring countries that would supposedly ensure the exploitation of the Aphrodite gas field. The natural gas discovery in Block 12 was made 15 years ago, in 2011, and there have been more discoveries since then, but we are still nowhere near selling any gas.
Last week the publication that covers the oil industry, MEES (Middle East Economic Survey) reported that Chevron would be asking Cyprus to pay $3 per mmbtu (million British thermal units) for use of the pipeline that would take gas from the Aphrodite gas field to the gas terminal in Egypt. The original price which, would have made the sale of gas profitable, was $1 per mmbtu, but the new price changed everything.
Cyprus Mail columnist and energy expert Charles Ellinas expressed the view that the higher price would eat away at the expected profits for Cyprus, to such an extent that “it would hardly be worth it for Cyprus.” The fact is that Chevron is calling the shots and given the small quantities of gas in the Aphrodite field its exploitation is not a priority in any way. Apart from much bigger projects in other parts of the world, it is reported that Chevron is also investing in doubling the output from Israel’s Leviathan field.
There is also another complication regarding Aphrodite. Despite years of negotiations Cyprus and Israel have failed to reach an agreement on the percentage of the revenue that would go to Israel for the part of the Aphrodite field that stretches into its EEZ. Without an agreement there could be no extraction of gas and Chevron made it clear that its final investment decision (FDI) was conditional on a resolution of the dispute.
Cyprus does not have any alternative but to accept what Chevron decides. In an industry in which investments worth hundreds of millions of dollars are made by oil firms, national governments have no say. Chevron has made this clear with the new price it is has quoted for the use of its pipelines – a price that could leave Cyprus a very small profit, if any. To cut a long story short, Cyprus is at the mercy of the oil companies. This has always been the case, but only now are realising how things work in the oil industry.
Turkey have appointed Sergen Yalcin as head coach on a four-year contract to replace the sacked Italian Vincenzo Montella, the country’s football federation (TFF) announced on Tuesday.
The 53-year-old former Turkey midfielder steps into the job following Montella’s dismissal earlier this month after a difficult Uefa Nations League campaign.
Turkey sit bottom of Group A1 after four consecutive losses, having also suffered a group stage exit from the 2026 World Cup.
“We wish Yalcin success in his new role and hope this decision proves auspicious for our country and our national team,” the TFF said in a statement.
A prominent figure in Turkish football, Yalcin won 37 caps from 1994 to 2003, featured at Euro 1996 and Euro 2000 and played for Besiktas, Fenerbahce, and Galatasaray.
As a manager, Yalcin guided Besiktas to a domestic double of Super Lig and Turkish Cup in the 2020–21 season. He ended a second stint in charge of Besiktas in May.
France will reinforce police with troops and mount a huge security operation for more protests planned on Saturday, the government said on Tuesday, acknowledging failures in its response to last weekend’s violence.
“The deployment next Saturday will be massive,” Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said, adding that the immediate priority was to restore order after rioting and looting swept Paris, Marseille, Lyon and other cities on October 17.
In a sometimes rowdy debate, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said the military would be deployed alongside police, while the government pledged to overhaul tactics after widespread criticism that city centres had been left vulnerable.
TARGETED CURFEWS HELP RESTORE CALM
Framing the crisis as a choice “between violence and the Republic”, Lecornu blamed the unrest on far-left groups, who in turn have accused the government of underestimating public anger over high living costs and declining public services.
The turmoil shocked France because of both its scale and the apparent inability of police to contain it, inflaming tensions ahead of presidential elections next year with candidates from the far right and hard left performing strongly in polls.
Protests in other European countries, including Italy and Albania, have added to concerns that anger over living standards risks spreading around the continent at a time when many nations, including France, are struggling with budget woes.
A night of relative calm in France followed targeted curfews imposed in several areas affected by the chaos, which the government said had helped reassert control. The localised curfews, some directed at children and teenagers under age 18, were extended to Tuesday night, police said.
Lecornu acknowledged shortcomings in the state’s response at the weekend, saying there had been intelligence failures, while police deployments had been too static and authorities had erred by not cancelling planned police leave.
Nunez apologised for the mistakes. “I deeply regret what happened. I accept my share of responsibility,” he said.
SUSPECT ARRESTED FOR LIMOGES TOWN HALL DESTRUCTION
Parliament is setting up a commission of inquiry to establish the causes of the unrest, while authorities have assigned 200 investigators to identify and track down those involved in the street violence.
Police arrested on Tuesday a man suspected of starting a blaze that destroyed a historic town hall in the central city of Limoges during the rioting. Officials said he had been on a security watch list and belonged to an ultra-left group.
Sylvain Maillard, a Renaissance deputy for Paris, told Reuters some apps had become “a walkie-talkie system for rioters and looters”.
Underscoring the broad impact of the crisis, French borrowing costs rose further on Tuesday as investors fretted about the prospect of more unrest, with the yield on benchmark 10-year government bonds touching its highest level in 24 years.
Supermarket chain Carrefour said it had lost tens of millions of euros through theft and damage, warning that it faced an “unprecedented situation” because of the disorder.
France’s main student union UNEF has called for further protests on Saturday, pledging to maintain pressure on Macron’s government over what it says is a deteriorating and underfunded education system. “We carry on,” it said on social media.
Separately, groups identifying themselves as “Gilets Jaunes” (Yellow Vests) called for protest actions over rising fuel costs.
The yellow vest movement, largely inactive in recent years, sprang up in 2018 during Macron’s first term over plans to raise petrol taxes. Traffic blockades continued for months until the government made costly concessions it can ill afford now.
ITALY FACES NEW FORM OF UNREST, MINISTER SAYS
Northern Italian cities, including the financial capital Milan, were also hit by riots last weekend.
Though not on the scale seen in France, the unrest nonetheless jolted Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government, which was expected to introduce new security measures at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
Defence Minister Guido Crosetto described the disturbances as a form of “hybrid warfare” conducted through social media platforms such as TikTok, YouTube and other online networks.
“The events in Milan and elsewhere in Italy are fundamentally different from those seen in other eras,” Crosetto wrote on social media. “The West has yet to realise this or take any meaningful action in response.”
In Milan’s central Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, sportswear retailer On and a Levi’s store that were targeted during the unrest had reopened on Tuesday but remained boarded up. Luxury stores had restored merchandise to window displays after temporarily removing it for security reasons.
In Albania, protesters were expected to take to the streets of Tirana for a seventh consecutive day against the government of Prime Minister Edi Rama.
Carrefour cut its annual earnings forecast on Tuesday, blaming an “unprecedented situation” in France as riots, looting and curfews raised costs and disrupted trading at its stores.
The supermarket chain said it now expects “stable to slight” growth in 2026 adjusted earnings per share, having previously forecast growth in a high single-digit percentage. It also forecast a slight decline in free cash flow compared with 2025.
Adding to widespread criticism of the government’s policing efforts, Carrefour CEO Alexandre Bompard said he hoped security would be better for the next protests planned on October 24, but that he expects a business impact regardless.
“Carrefour was directly and strongly affected. Around 50 of our stores were hit on day one, many were looted and the damage is considerable,” Bompard said on a call with analysts.
“Many of our teams and partners faced deeply distressing situations,” he added, saying the retailer is helping workers to reopen affected stores as soon as it is safe.
The unrest is hurting consumer confidence that was already weak because of high fuel prices and is reducing footfall at Carrefour stores as the key fourth-quarter trading period begins.
Finance chief Matthieu Malige said the total impact could be between €80 million ($90 million) and €200 million of operating income.
“The direct costs add up to several tens of millions of euros … of stolen or destroyed merchandise, damaged stores, damaged equipment, and then there are also the stores we were forced to close,” Malige told reporters.
“In the weeks to come we will continue to be impacted as some stores have to close earlier due to curfews, and more broadly we think we’re in a new situation marked by deep uncertainty for our customers.”
Many of Carrefour’s 6,000 stores across the country were closed in anticipation of unrest, including on Sunday and Monday, Malige said, declining to disclose the total number of stores shut.
Costs have increased as stores took measures to protect themselves, including the hiring of external security guards, Malige said, adding that Carrefour was among the most affected retailers because of its wide network of convenience stores in cities such as Paris, Lyon, and Marseille.
As a result, Carrefour said it would invest less in France, cutting its capital expenditure forecast for the year to €1.6 billion from €1.7 billion.
The retailer had been gearing up to begin its Black Friday sales events in the coming days, Malige added.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Russia on Wednesday after meeting in Oslo with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and leaders of Norway and Finland, while President Donald Trump said it was time for Kyiv to end the war with Moscow.
Zelenskiy travelled to Oslo in a bid to repair relations with Washington, which have sunk to new lows as Trump has courted Moscow. Kyiv has complained that Washington has withheld vital military support and intelligence.
Earlier on Tuesday, Zelenskiy spoke by phone with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Zelenskiy said Ukraine was again receiving early warnings of Russian missile attacks.
“Now it works, it’s great,” he said, adding he and Rubio had also discussed supplies of Patriot missile interceptors and the US-provided satellite-based Starlink system, which Kyiv complained had stopped working when mounted on fast-moving objects such as drones.
Trump’s recent gestures toward Moscow, including a deal to buy Russian diesel and waiving new sanctions, have sparked bipartisan pushback in the US Congress and worry in European capitals.
Zelenskiy said he expected to talk to Rubio again in 48 hours.
He said he had discussed security guarantees for Ukraine in Oslo, including “Article 5-like” guarantees, referring to the NATO stipulation that an attack on one ally is an attack on all.
“I am thankful to the American side that they underlined again that it will be strong,” he said.
“There are different kinds of security guarantees which are in the paper, in the document, which Steve (Witkoff) will share with the Russians,” he said. “And we will hear his feedback one day after.”
Zelenskiy reiterated that Ukraine hoped to discuss key issues on how to end the war during a trilateral meeting of leaders of Ukraine, Russia and the US.
Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere said the Oslo meeting had been good and constructive.
“Steve Witkoff will fly tomorrow to Saint Petersburg where he will be meeting with Russian leadership, and exchange ideas from this meeting and the proposals that have been worked on by European and American colleagues, and possibly pave the way for a meeting at leaders level,” Stoere said.
“I think the (peace) process is back on track,” Finnish President Alexander Stubb told the news conference, in which Witkoff did not take part.
Earlier the US envoy and Zelenskiy clasped one another in a hug as they went into the talks that Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner joined remotely.
Washington has denied deliberately hindering Ukraine’s war effort. But Trump, who has waived sanctions on Russia in what he says is an effort to lower US fuel prices, has repeatedly rebuked Zelenskiy, and called for him to be replaced.
On Tuesday, Trump called on Ukraine to make a deal to settle the war with Russia, and said Moscow wanted to get it done. “Ukraine has to want to settle this war,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
Trump suggested Moscow had the upper hand in the fight because “Russia is a big machine — they just keep grinding forward, and that’s what they’ve done. They’ve taken a very large piece of land.”
On Monday, Trump said Zelenskiy, who has rejected Russia’s conditions for ending its war, was “not helping matters much”, and that Kyiv should find “somebody else to negotiate”.
RUBIO SAYS US MISSILES MAY NOT HAVE BEEN DELIVERED YET
The US under Trump has largely stopped providing weapons directly to Ukraine but lets European countries buy US weaponry on Kyiv’s behalf under the so-called Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL). It has also provided intelligence and technology that Europe cannot match.
A source familiar with the matter said most weapons deliveries under PURL continued to flow, but US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has not approved Ukraine’s latest requests for Patriot interceptors.
Rubio acknowledged on Tuesday that a consignment of interceptors bought by European countries for Ukraine may not have been delivered, but denied that the US had changed policy.
“There has not been some deliberate political directive to go out and harm Ukraine,” he said on a visit to India.
The Kremlin said it was hoping to set up a meeting between Witkoff and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
As US ties with Ukraine have deteriorated, Russia has stepped up attacks on Ukrainian cities, particularly targeting power stations and fuel, despite a call from Trump for both sides to spare each other’s energy systems.
Russia bombarded cities in western Ukraine overnight, targeting electricity systems and knocking out power across swathes of the country that had previously been spared.
Ukraine held back for several days last week from hitting Russian oil refineries in deference to Trump’s request, but has resumed strikes after Russia showed no sign of complying. Both sides have also struck data centres.
Trump has repeatedly condemned Ukrainian attacks on Russia while saying little about Russia’s far more severe attacks on Ukraine, which have grown even more deadly as Kyiv says US support has been withheld for its air defences.
RUSSIAN ATTACKS
Russia’s defence ministry said on Tuesday it struck three cargo vessels in Ukraine’s port of Reni and two other cargo vessels en route to Odesa. Russian forces also hit two logistics hubs, it said.
Energy facilities were attacked in seven Ukrainian regions overnight, knocking out power, and the western Lviv region was struck again during the day. Russian drones also struck an energy facility in Kyiv on Tuesday, mayor Vitali Klitschko said, with authorities saying power was out in four districts.
The deterioration of US-Ukraine relations began 10 days ago when Trump lifted sanctions on Russian diesel in a deal agreed with Putin. Trump said this would help reduce high fuel prices that have upset US voters ahead of midterm legislative elections on November 3.
At the weekend, Trump issued a broad waiver for tougher sanctions on Russia that were meant to have begun this week.
The defendants in the ‘golden passports’ case requested a trial within a trial on Tuesday, arguing that a great deal of the evidence to be presented by state prosecutors was irregularly obtained by police during investigations.
On trial at Nicosia criminal court are ten defendants: former transport minister Marios Demetriades, Andreas Demetriades, Demetris Demetriades, Giorgos Demetriades, Eleni Simillidi, Jing Wang, Josef Friedrich Santin, Vasiliki Georgiou-Santin, and Andreas Demetriades & Co LLC and Delsk Business Services Ltd.
The charges involve corruption, bribery, conspiracy to defraud and money laundering related to the naturalisation of 19 Asian investors, in the context of the now-defunct citizenship-by-investment scheme.
All defendants deny the charges.
In court on Tuesday, defence attorney Elias Stefanou requested a trial within a trial due to objections over the manner in which evidence was obtained against the accused.
He was referring to three warrants issued to search the premises of the Demetriades family law firm. According to Stefanou, the issues at stake are violations of attorney-client privilege, violation of the privacy of communications, exceeding the scope of the warrants, and relevance of the material seized.
The seized material includes electronic communications, a hard disk, computer towers, storage devices, mobile phones and paper files.
Stefanou said the defence had asked prosecutors to specify the material they intend to present in court.
A trial within a trial would determine which evidence would be admissible for the trial proper.
Countering, lead prosecutor Charis Karaolidou said they had already informed the defence of the evidentiary items they would not be presenting in court.
She said the defence needs to spell out precisely which material it objects to.
Hearing both sides, the court granted the defence time until November 16 – the next scheduled hearing – to present its objections in detail.
Tuesday’s proceedings also saw the first prosecution witness – a CID officer – continue testifying. The officer is the case evidence custodian.
To date, 105 items of evidence have been submitted in court – documents pertaining to naturalisations granted to individuals from Cambodia and China.
Former minister Demetriades is specifically charged with intervening in citizenship applications handled by his father’s and brothers’ law firm. The second charge involves “accepting gifts as a public official” related to a Chinese investor’s naturalisation. The third charge alleges bribery of a public official, citing Demetriades’ active participation in cabinet decisions.
Meanwhile defendants Josef Friedrich Santin, Vasiliki Georgiou-Santin, and Delsk Ltd face charges of influence peddling.
This is one of four court cases filed in relation to the ‘golden passports’ scheme.
The most prominent one, involving former House president Demetris Syllouris and former Akel MP Christakis Giovani, resulted in acquittals in February this year.
The final price tag for the Great Sea Interconnector (GSI) remains an unknown, while the project is now estimated to come online a year later than initially forecast, the energy regulator said on Tuesday.
Head of the energy regulatory authority (Cera) Polis Lemonaris was giving MPs a status update on the GSI – a planned subsea electricity cable linking Cyprus’ grid to that of Greece.
He said the final cost of the GSI cannot yet be “safety estimated” – but added that judging by other interconnectors, the €1.9 billion cited does not seem realistic.
Moreover, in the event that seabed surveys – still ongoing – show a need to reroute the subsea cable, the cost would likely go up.
But going with the standard €1.9 billion number, the official explained the cost distribution for Cyprus and Greece, currently set at 63 per cent to 37 per cent, respectively. Minus the €657 million in EU grants, Cyprus’ share of the cost comes to €749 million, and Greece’s to €440 million.
In addition, the contracting parties bear the operating costs equally; these come to €2 million annually up until the project’s completion, and then €15.5 million per year during actual operation.
As part of the incentives agreed, Lemonaris said, Cyprus will pay €25 million per year for the 2025-2029 period, with a maximum payment of €125 million.
Cyprus has yet to pay Admie the first €25 million installment.
In 2025, Admie – Greece’s independent power transmission operator and project promoter for the GSI – made a filing claiming it had incurred €302 million in expenditures.
Having reviewed the documentation, however, Cera concluded instead that expenses were €82 million up until that time.
The two countries have also agreed on a guaranteed rate of return on investment of 8.3 per cent for the project manager. This rate applies for seven years, later dropping to 4.6 per cent for the next 17 years.
On the actual work done, Lemonaris said that so far 280km of cable has been laid on the seabed, out of the total distance of 900km between the two points in Crete and Cyprus.
Meanwhile, another 232km of cable has been manufactured but yet not laid.
And 60 per cent of the necessary seabed surveys have been completed; the remaining 40 per cent would take about six months.
The seabed surveys are included in the approved capital expenditures budgeted for the 2024-2025 period, which altogether tally at €571 million.
Elsewhere in his presentation, Lemonaris said that the original target of January 2030 set for the project’s completion now looks like January 2031, according to fresh estimates.
MPs wanted to know the status of ownership and control in the project following the acquisition by Meridiam – a French infrastructure investment firm – of 66 per cent of the shares in the holding company based in Greece. Admie retains a 33 per cent strategic minority stake.
Based on their most recent information, Lemonaris said, the ownership and management permits still appear to be held by Admie, which also remains the project promoter.
However, Cera is awaiting an update from Admie regarding ownership and management following Meridiam’s entry into the project.
Cera formally requested the update in August; it has yet to receive a response.
Regarding the cash value of the 66 per cent shares acquired by Meridiam, Lemonaris said this is also an unknown.
Last month President Nikos Christodoulides said Cyprus would release the first €25 million contribution towards the Great Sea Interconnector (GSI) once a Navtex is issued for the resumption of seabed surveys.
Energy Minister Michael Damianos said the Navtex would be issued by Greek authorities by the end of this month.
European Council President Antonio Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday offered “solidarity” to both Greece and Cyprus after the Libyan parliament had earlier in the day ratified a maritime boundary agreement with Turkey which both Greece and the Republic of Cyprus consider to be illegal.
“We deeply regret the ratification today by the Libyan parliament of the so-called Libyan-Turkey memorandum of understanding on the delimitation of maritime jurisdictions in the Mediterranean Sea. We recall that the EU’s position on this matter was clearly stated by the European Council in 2019 and remains unchanged,” they said.
They added that the agreement “infringes upon the sovereign rights of third states”, “does not comply with the law of the sea”, and “is null and void”.
“We reaffirm our solidarity with Greece and Cyprus. We reiterate the EU’s well-known position against any outside interference in Libya,” they said.
The European Council’s conclusions on December 12, 2019, had stated similarly that the agreement “infringes upon the sovereign rights of third states, does not comply with the law of the sea, and cannot produce any legal consequences for third states”.
Libya’s parliament voted unanimously to adopt agreement
Earlier on Tuesday, the Libyan parliament voted unanimously to adopt the agreement, which states that Libya and Turkey agree that their respective exclusive economic zones share a border in the Mediterranean sea, and that that border is located southeast of the Greek island of Crete.
The ratification came on a day on which a day on which Turkey’s national intelligence organisation (Mit)’s chief Ibrahim Kalin was in the country to meet Libya’s government of national unity’s Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dibeybe.
Turkey had signed an agreement with the Libyan government of national accord in 2019, but it had not until Tuesday been ratified by Libya’s legislature. The government of national unity superseded the government of national accord in 2021 and is now the sole internationally recognised government of Libya.
Mit chief Ibrahim Kalin and Libya’s government of national unity’s Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dibeybe
After the agreement was signed, Cypriot Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos and his Greek counterpart Giorgos Gerapetritis held a telephone call, after which both ministries released condemnatory statements.
“The Republic of Cyprus’ foreign ministry condemns the Libyan parliament’s decision to approve the illegal Turkish-Libyan ‘memorandum of understanding’ of 2019. This ‘memorandum’ violates the sovereign rights of third states and is contrary to the recognised principles of the United Nations convention on the law of the sea,” the Cypriot ministry said.
It added that the agreement also violates “customary international law regarding the rights of islands in maritime zones, including the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf”.
“Therefore, the foreign ministry continues to consider the said ‘memorandum’ illegal, null and void, and that it does not produce, in any way, legal effects against third states,” it said.
Turkey is not an Unclos signatory, Libya signed but did not ratify
Greece’s foreign ministry said that that it “rejects” it and that the decision “does not change the illegal, null and void nature of the memorandum, which is contrary to the international law of the sea and violates the sovereign rights of the states of the region”.
“Geography and the international law of the sea do not change with unilateral, legally unfounded parliamentary decisions. Turkey and Libya do not have opposing or adjacent coasts which would provide a legal basis for the attempted delimitation of maritime zones,” it added.
While Greece and the Republic of Cyprus are signatories to the United Nations convention on the law of the sea (Unclos), Turkey is not, and while Libya under its then leader Muammar Gadaffi signed the convention in 1984, no Libyan legislature ever ratified the signature.
Turkey’s belief is that the convention gives too much weight to islands, which it says should instead only be allowed 12 nautical miles of territorial waters as their own exclusive economic zone (EEZ), whereas Greece believes that its islands are entitled to full EEZs of their own.
As such, Turkey’s view is that its own EEZ stretches south to meet Libya’s EEZ, and as of Wednesday, Libya agrees, whereas Greece’s position is that Turkey and Libya do not share a maritime border because the sea in question belongs to Crete.
Given this to be the case, Turkey’s presidential press office director Burhanettin Duran described Tuesday’s vote as “an important advancement towards protecting the shared rights and interests of both nations in the eastern Mediterranean, establishing maritime jurisdiction areas on the basis of equity, and strengthening regional cooperation”.
“Under the leadership of our President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey will continue to safeguard its rights and interests within the Blue Homeland, while further developing its relations with friendly and brotherly Libya and promoting equitable resource sharing, peace, and stability in the eastern Mediterranean”.
Cypriot members of the European Parliament on Tuesday evening stressed the importance of building up the Mediterranean region’s energy sector as the Strasbourg plenary session discussed the parliament’s latest motion regarding the European Union’s pact for the Mediterranean.
The resolution, which will be voted upon on Wednesday, sets out the European Parliament’s position on the pact and relations between the EU and the Mediterranean region, and Diko’s Costas Mavrides was keen to stress that the EU “has the potential” to “lead the entire Mediterranean toward stability and prosperity” through its energy sector.
“The common rules for the Mediterranean are, naturally, those of international law, specifically including UN conventions regarding the law of the sea. Institutions and infrastructure already exist … such as the EastMed gas forum, the European project of common interest the Great Sea Interconnector, and the EastMed gas pipeline,” he said.
On this front, he said that the Republic of Cyprus has “consistently been playing a leading role”, but that “the neo-Ottoman regime in Turkey remains the transgressor and the expansionist”.
As such, he sarcastically asked European foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, who was present for proceedings, whether she is “rewarding this transgressor and expansionist”, or whether she is “bestowing gifts upon it”.
Geadi highlights resolution’s GSI amendment
Elam’s Geadis Geadi, meanwhile, called for a new pact which “must serve as an essential tool for cooperation, focusing on energy security, electrical interconnections, addressing illegal migration and human smuggling, and combating terrorism and hybrid threats”.
“However, cooperation in the Mediterranean must be grounded in international law, rather than in unilateral claims or provocations,” he said.
At this point, he offered his thanks to “colleagues from across the political spectrum” who supported an amendment to the motion which, he said, “underscores the importance of European projects of common interest, such as the Great Sea Interconnector and the EastMed pipeline”.
He added that the amendment also “simultaneously condemned Turkish provocations which hinder their implementation”.
Then, he, too, offered a shot at Kallas, saying that “the Mediterranean cannot be allowed to fall victim to Turkish blackmail directed against European interests, and Ms Kallas, it is your responsibility to move from words to action”.
Two amendments on Cyprus to be tabled on Wednesday
The amendment to which he was referring is his own, which was co-signed by fellow Cypriot MEP Fidias Panayiotou, as well as high-profile right-wing Greek MEP Afroditi Latinopoulou, among others.
It states that the parliament “underlines the importance of EU projects of common interest, including the Great Sea Interconnector and the EastMed pipeline, for the EU’s energy security and autonomy and the diversification of its energy supplies”.
Additionally, it states that it “condemns Turkey’s interference in energy infrastructure projects in the eastern Mediterranean and calls for these projects to be able to proceed without obstruction”.
The amendment was one of two to be tabled which mention Cyprus, with Latinopoulou having tabled her own amendment, which was co-signed by Geadi.
It states that “Turkey’s ongoing provocations against Greece and Cyprus, including repeated violations of their sovereign rights in the Aegean and the eastern Mediterranean, its continued threat of a casus belli against Greece, the so-called Blue Homeland doctrine, and the continued occupation of part of the territory of an EU member state, fundamentally undermine regional stability and any credible Euro-Mediterranean cooperation”.
Georgiou calls for ‘different approach’ to Mediterranean
Akel’s Giorgos Georgiou, meanwhile, took a different angle in Tuesday’s debate, saying that “the Mediterranean is a region of immense potential, yet one marked by profound contradictions, wars, inequalities, the plight of refugees, and environmental threats”.
“A pact for the Mediterranean could represent a genuine opportunity for peace, cooperation, and shared prosperity, but not if it is treated merely as a tool to expand the European Union’s geopolitical influence, nor if security, militarisation, and the control of migration are prioritised over the needs of people,” he said.
He said that the European Parliament’s “The Left” grouping, on whose behalf he was speaking, has “advocated for a different approach … one centred on people, social justice, labour rights, and environmental approach”.
This approach, he said, “ensures the meaningful participation of societies, is backed by adequate funding, and respects both state sovereignty and international law”, before he pivoted to the matter of international politics.
“We cannot invoke international law while simultaneously accepting that it be selectively applied, as is the case regarding Cyprus and Palestine. The Mediterranean does not need new geopolitical rivalries, it needs solidarity, cooperation, dialogue, and peace. This is the Mediterranean we must strive to build,” he said.
Cyprus’ foreign ministry on Friday declared the maritime boundary agreement signed by the governments of Turkey and Libya to be both “illegal” and “null and void” after it was ratified by the Libyan parliament earlier in the day.
“The Republic of Cyprus’ foreign ministry condemns the Libyan parliament’s decision to approve the illegal Turkish-Libyan ‘memorandum of understanding’ of 2019. This ‘memorandum’ violates the sovereign rights of third states and is contrary to the recognised principles of the United Nations convention on the law of the sea,” it said.
It added that the agreement also violates “customary international law regarding the rights of islands in maritime zones, including the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf”.
“Therefore, the foreign ministry continues to consider the said ‘memorandum’ illegal, null and void, and that it does not produce, in any way, legal effects against third states,” it said.
The Libyan parliament’s spokesman Abdullah Bliheg had said earlier in the day that the legislature had “voted unanimously” to adopt the agreement, on a day on which Turkey’s national intelligence organisation (Mit)’s chief Ibrahim Kalin was in the country to meet Libya’s government of national unity’s Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dibeybe.
Turkey had signed an agreement with the Libyan government of national accord in 2019, but it had not until Tuesday been ratified by Libya’s legislature. The government of national unity superseded the government of national accord in 2021 and is now the sole internationally recognised government of Libya.
Turkey and Libya officially agree that their EEZs share a border
As a result of the agreement, Libya and Turkey agree that their respective exclusive economic zones share a border in the Mediterranean sea, and that that border is located southeast of the Greek island of Crete.
Greece, too, reacted furiously to the Libyan parliament’s approval of the deal, with the country’s foreign ministry that it “rejects” it and that the decision “does not change the illegal, null and void nature of the memorandum, which is contrary to the international law of the sea and violates the sovereign rights of the states of the region”.
“Geography and the international law of the sea do not change with unilateral, legally unfounded parliamentary decisions. Turkey and Libya do not have opposing or adjacent coasts which would provide a legal basis for the attempted delimitation of maritime zones,” it added.
It then said that the agreement “also disregards the Greek islands and their rights to maritime zones based on [the United Nations convention on the law of the sea] Unclos and customary international law”.
“Having already concluded maritime delimitation agreements with Egypt and Italy, in accordance with the international law of the sea, Greece has demonstrated its respect for international law and the sovereign rights of neighbouring states. We call on the Libyan side to refrain from any action which is contrary to international law and undermines stability in the eastern Mediterranean,” it said.
It added that it has “already informed its partners and allies” and that it will “take all appropriate action to safeguard its sovereign rights”.
Libya’s parliament
Turkey is not an Unclos signatory, Libya signed but did not ratify
In this, the country’s Foreign Minister Giorgos Gerapetritis had earlier held a telephone call with his Cypriot counterpart Constantinos Kombos shortly after the Libyan parliament voted on the matter.
While Greece and the Republic of Cyprus are signatories to Unclos, Turkey is not, and while Libya under its then leader Muammar Gadaffi signed the convention in 1984, no Libyan legislature ever ratified the signature.
Turkey’s belief is that the convention gives too much weight to islands, which it says should instead only be allowed 12 nautical miles of territorial waters as their own exclusive economic zone (EEZ), whereas Greece believes that its islands are entitled to full EEZs of their own.
As such, Turkey’s view is that its own EEZ stretches south to meet Libya’s EEZ, and as of Wednesday, Libya agrees, whereas Greece’s position is that Turkey and Libya do not share a maritime border because the sea in question belongs to Crete.
Given this to be the case, Turkey’s presidential press office director Burhanettin Duran described Tuesday’s vote as “an important advancement towards protecting the shared rights and interests of both nations in the eastern Mediterranean, establishing maritime jurisdiction areas on the basis of equity, and strengthening regional cooperation”.
“Under the leadership of our President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey will continue to safeguard its rights and interests within the Blue Homeland, while further developing its relations with friendly and brotherly Libya and promoting equitable resource sharing, peace, and stability in the eastern Mediterranean”.
Five years after its Cyprus debut, Quatuor Diotima returns to Nicosia on the occasion of its 30th anniversary. One of France’s most renowned string quartets, and one of the most sought-after chamber ensembles on the international stage today, heads to the capital city for a concert at The Shoe Factory.
On Friday, October 30, the quartet performs in Cyprus presenting an intense, searching and deeply expressive programme. Across the European chamber music scene, Diotima has captured a distinctive place, boasting a repertoire that ranges from the great masterpieces of the 19th century to the some of the most important music being written today.
Having performed at esteemed venues such as Wigmore Hall, Pierre Boulez Saal, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, and Philharmonie de Paris and received critical distinctions, its musicians arrive in Cyprus. Yun-Peng Zhao and Léo Marillier on violin, Franck Chevalier on viola and Alexis Descharmes on cello have prepared a rich programme for October 30.
Masterpieces by Beethoven and Brahms will be paired with Georges Aperghis’ strikingly original String Quartet No.2, which was commissioned by Radio France and given its world premiere by Diotima at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées a few months ago.
Cypriot member of the European Parliament Michalis Hadjipantela on Tuesday presented the parliament’s budget committee (Budg)’s plans for the European Union’s general budget for next year, which reverses all the cuts which had been made to it by the Council of the EU when it agreed its own position in July.
The budget foresees that the EU will make €194 billion worth of commitments and €203.3bn worth of actual payments over the course of the year, with the committee’s position therefore including more spending not only than the Council’s , but also than the European Commission’s position.
This is because the committee had voted to approve €1.17bn of extra spending next year compared to the commission’s position, including €260.5 million for the Connecting Europe facility, the EU’s funding instrument for infrastructure investment, and the instrument through which the EU offered grants for the Great Sea Interconnector.
Other increases include an extra €85m for the European agriculture guarantee fund, through which the EU pays farmers directly, and a €20m increase for support for young farmers.
Additionally, increases in funding amounting to €140m have been granted for the EU’s neighbourhood policy, through which the EU offers funding and partnerships for countries in eastern Europe and north Africa.
Hadjipantela, who belongs to Disy, said of his plans that “at a time when the European Union faces growing security challenges, we must ensure that our institutions possess he necessary means to carry out their mission effectively and independently”.
‘European taxpayers expect us to manage public funds responsibly’
“Let me be clear: budgetary discipline is non-negotiable. European taxpayers expect us to manage public funds responsibly and to remain efficient, while avoiding unnecessary expenditure,” he said.
On this front, he said that “all institutions must identify opportunities for savings and improve the way they operate”, and that the European Parliament itself “is called upon to continue improving how it manages and spends its budget”.
However, he stressed, “efficiency cannot simply mean making cuts without regard for the responsibilities which our institutions are required to fulfil”.
“We must avoid a situation where cuts create operational problems or, worse still, lead to higher costs in the future. The goal is to strike the right balance,” he said.
He stressed that the Budg committee’s position “has focused on specific, well-substantiated operational needs”, and stressed that “we have advocated for retaining essential resources where justified while maintaining a disciplined and proportionate approach to expenditure”.
To this end, he said that the EU’s various institutions “have already made significant efforts to improve their efficiency and save resources”, and hat “these efforts must continue, and should be accompanied by a realistic assessment of the tasks and obligations incumbent upon each institution”.
MEPs to vote on Wednesday
His co-rapporteur, Latvia’s Nils Usakovs, meanwhile, said that the committee had “put partisan politics aside and adopted a focused budgetary resolution … in order to shore up parliament’s unity for the negotiations to come”.
“Parliament proposes to restore all Council cuts – €1bn in commitments and over €500m in payments, and add €1.17bn to the draft budget. Behind every budget line we vote on tomorrow are real people and their needs,” he said.
MEPs will vote on the parliament’s position on Wednesday. If they approve the position set out by Hadjipantela and Usakovs, the “conciliation committee” of the parliament and the Council will convene on November 3 with the aim of reaching a compromise by November 16.
Should a provisional agreement be reached by that date, the joint text will then be voted on both at the Council and at the parliament for final approval.
Prince Harry has said he hoped to reconcile with King Charles and the rest of his family with whom he fell out when he moved to the United States six years ago.
Harry, 42, the king’s younger son, caused a huge rupture in the British royal family when he and his wife Meghan quit royal duties and moved to California in 2020 from where they were highly critical of the institution.
He has barely spoken to his older brother, heir Prince William, for years, and his family has only recently met up again with his father. In an interview with GQ magazine, Harry, who recently relocated back to Britain with Meghan and their two children, said he wanted to patch things up.
‘MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO RECONCILE’
“With everything else that’s going on in the world, the most important thing is to reconcile,” he told GQ.
He said he could understand the fascination with his family’s situation as people could relate to it.
“There’s sibling disagreements, there’s broken relationships between kids and their parents, kids and one parent,” he said.
Some people might be inspired by efforts to reconcile and this could help their own relationships.
“And some people don’t want it to work out. I want it to work out,” he added.
Harry’s spokesperson said those latter comments were not meant as a swipe at William or any other family members.
Harry, the Duke of Sussex, went on to tell GQ that while “scars stick around forever”, he wanted to encourage everybody to let go of the past.
“For me, there’s enough drama in the world and enough drama in people’s lives than to continue with issues with family,” he said. “It’s not worth it.”
HARRY SAYS CHILDREN ‘LOVING’ UK SCHOOL
In the lengthy interview, Harry also discussed themes he has previously talked about, such as the impact of losing his mother Princess Diana when he was 12 and his mental health struggles.
But he also talked about why he had returned to Britain, saying that being able to put his children in a British school “has meant a lot to me”.
“I didn’t know how important it was to me. I always thought it was going to be something that we would try and do, but now they’ve been in school for two weeks. They’re loving it and it’s just giving them a whole different experience.”
He also said he hoped that his fraught relationship with the British press, which partly led to him leaving in the first place and has led to a number of lawsuits against newspaper groups, would now be better.
“My hope is that it will change,” he said. “There have been some battles that have been fought, necessarily so. But hopefully we can all draw a line under that.
“As with everything else that’s going on in the world, there’s aspects of the past that I’m sure all of us, me, my family, some of the British press, that we’d all like to leave behind us and work for the greater good.”
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