Cyprus

On Friday, President Klaus Iohannis signed accreditation decrees for several Romanian ambassadors, including Cristian Istrate to Russia, Bogdan Manoiu to Canada and Daniela-Laura Popescu to the UK.

Joe Biden's nominee for secretary of state, Antony Blinken, has expressed his commitment to further strengthening ties between the United States and Greece, Israel and Cyprus.

A magnitude 5 earthquake rattled the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) on Jan. 21, Turkey's disaster management agency said.

According to the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), the quake took place in the eastern Gazimağusa city at 5.27 p.m. Turkish time, which corresponds to 4.27 p.m. in the TRNC (1427 GMT).

An earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 5.3 rattled Cyprus on Thursday, witnesses said, with no immediate reports of damage.

The tremor occurred at around 1427 GMT and was felt by residents of high rise buildings in the capital, Nicosia, forcing some to evacuate.

Turkey and the European Union must take concrete steps in order to maintain a recent positive atmosphere between them, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday, adding there was political will on both sides for a positive agenda.

Cyprus plans to reopen its airports to visitors from all countries on March 1, Deputy Tourism Minister Savvas Perdios told CyBC state television on Wednesday.

"This means that passengers will be able to visit Cyprus without quarantine restrictions, unless they test positive for COVID-19 on arrival," Perdios said.

The head of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA) congratulated the new US President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris on their inauguration on Wednesday, saying he looks forward to working with the new administration on issues affecting the Greek-American community.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says he intends to invite the rival leaders on Cyprus to an informal meeting "as soon as practicable," but he warns that this meeting must be different and help clarify "the true extent" of their common vision "and outline steps necessary to chart a way forward."

In many respects, }Joe Biden is a known quantity on the foreign policy level. A committed internationalist, Biden believes in the value of alliances, treaties, open economies and US leadership. He is a strong advocate of the transatlantic partnership, with an almost perfect attendance record at the annual Munich Security Conference, the equivalent of Davos for defense and geopolitics.

In the past year, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the political-military leadershisp of his country did everything in their power to highlight their geopolitical aims in a vast expanse of territory: The Southeastern Mediterranean, the Middle East, the Balkans, the Black Sea, and the Caucasus.