Nikos Christodoulides

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.

Despite the fact that for the time being Ankara appears immovable, Nicosia is sensing a willingness on the part of the international community to support new negotiations for the resolution of the Cyprus problem, with the "window of opportunity" that has opened with the perceived turn of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan toward the West. 

Cyprus is heading toward suspending first-residence property foreclosures up to 350,000 euros by end-October.

This intermediate solution is seen as a compromise, allowing either the government, the Central Bank of Cyprus, or both to come up with proposals that will effectively address the issue of nonperforming loans.

Defence Minister Nikos Dendias will make an official visit to Cyprus on Thursday to meet with country officials.

He will first be received by Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides at the Presidential Mansion and will later have a private meeting with the Defence Minister Michalis Georgallas. After the talks the two ministers will make statements to the press.

Greece's new foreign minister, Giorgos Gerapetritis, is scheduled to undertake his first official visit abroad on Tuesday, as he heads to Cyprus since assuming the role of the head of Greek diplomacy.

The minister will first be received by Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides.

Energy, Commerce, and Industry Minister George Papanastasiou expressed optimism regarding the construction of a pipeline between Cyprus and Israel after a meeting with Eni CEO Claudio Descalzi and President Nikos Christodoulides at the Presidential Palace on Tuesday. Papanastasiou anticipated a development plan for the fields in Block 6 of the Cypriot EEZ in the near future.

Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides insisted on Wednesday that Nicosia's main issue is that there is stability in Greece, whatever Sunday's election result.

Cypriot farmers have descended in droves upon Nicosia this week to protest against a long-delayed EU pesticide ban, with tractor drivers taking part in the demonstration and warning 79% of arable land would be lost.

A clearer picture is expected to emerge this week regarding the Cypriot government's course of action on the reduced value-added tax (VAT) rate on fuel and electricity, government spokesman Konstantinos Letymbiotis told Kathimerini Cyprus.