Nikos Christodoulides

Ankara is maintaining a harsh stance in relation to Cyprus, as seen by its reaction to an arson attack on a mosque in Limassol and its posture at the buffer zone in the Pyla area when Turkish Cypriots attacked members of the UN peacekeeping force.

Nicosia reiterated on Thursday that it will not stand for any moves that cast doubt on the status of the UN-controlled buffer zone through which the Turkish Cypriots illegally tried to build a road last week and physically assaulted international peacekeepers who tried to obstruct them.

At a time of apparent mobility on the Cyprus issue despite Ankara's hard line, Athens and Nicosia reaffirmed their common stance during the meeting on Monday between visiting Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. 

Greece and Cyprus on Monday welcomed moves by Turkey to boost relations with the European Union, but said rapprochement should be gradual and not unconditional. European Union foreign ministers said on July 20 they were ready to re-engage with Turkey, but stopped short of offering Ankara a clear resumption of membership talks.

During a meeting between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides in Nicosia on Monday, both sides emphasized their dedication to seeking a peace settlement for the Mediterranean island based on the UN-sanctioned premises for a bizonal, bicommunal federation.

Prime Minter Kyriakos Mitsotakis will visit Cyprus Monday.

The visit had been postponed amid the wildfires crisis.

His first stop will be the military cemetery in the district of Makedonitissa, where the tombs of the Greek and Cypriot soldiers killed during the Turkish invasion of July 1974 are located.

Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides and Ersin Tatar, the leader of the island's Turkish Cypriot community, have jointly appealed for information that could lead to the buried remains of people who vanished amid violence and war decades ago, a task with increasing urgency as eyewitnesses die.

BELGRADE - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic received the credentials of new Cypriot Ambassador to Belgrade Andreas Fotiou on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has canceled his scheduled visit to Cyprus on Thursday, following the crash of a firefighting aircraft on Evia.

The premier informed his Cyprus counterpart, Nikos Christodoulides, of his decision by phone.

Cyprus' connectivity with other countries is very important for matters of tourism and the economy in general, the president of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, said last Friday.

He was attending the presentation of two new Airbus A220s for the Cyprus Airways fleet at the old Larnaca Airport.