Cyprus

In the dead heat of the Cypriot summer in 1996, a young Greek Cypriot, Tassos Isaac, was beaten to death by a group of ultranationalist Turks.

Bulgaria’s foreign minister said Cyprus could supply his country and other Central European nations with natural gas to lessen the region’s heavy dependence on Russian deliveries.

The Bulgarian community in Cyprus can serve as a model for our communities around the world, Foreign Minister Kristian Vigenin said during his visit to the island nation.

Minister Vigenin met with the local Bulgarian community and handed out the diplomas for graduates of the Bulgarian weekend schools. In turn, the students put up a short performance, including poetry recitals.

There cannot be anyone in northern Cyprus who does not demand a settlement. Settlement ideas might differ, but the status quo cannot be acceptable to anyone. Yet, there are some confused minds who see surrender to Greek Cypriots or becoming a part of Turkey as some sort of a resolution.

Bulgarian Foreign Minister Kristian Vigenin is on an official two-day visit to Cyprus.

The agenda of the visit starts with meetings with representatives of the Bulgarian community in the country, according to reports of the Bulgarian National Radio.

With President Dr. Derviş Eroğlu repeatedly denying that talks with the Greek Cypriot side were in a deadlock and even Greek Cypriot opinion makers accusing Greek Cypriot leader Nikos Anastasiades of becoming a “conservative Christofias” interested only in stalling tactics, a paper stressed the peace dividend would radically change communal and individual prospects.

By Sarka Halas

Cyprus is preparing a benchmark public debt sale just a year after it was bailed out, which if successful would make it the quickest return to the bond market by a sovereign after a rescue.

The issuer has mandated Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, HSBC, UBS and VTB Capital to arrange a series of fixed income investor meetings in Europe ahead of the deal.

The Chambers of Commerce from Turkey, Greece and Turkish and Greek Cyprus announced the creation of the joint commerce forum, namely the “Nicosia Economic Forum,” last Monday in Cyprus. This was their first meeting since 1974.

The leaders of both Turkish and Greek communities in Cyprus recently signed a joint declaration committing themselves to a confederation of two federal states. Thus the Cyprus negotiations restarted. That is better than the alternative. But there is reason to look beyond the usual pessimism of Cyprus watchers. I think this round is truly set to be different. Let me explain why.

Shall we sneak a look at the Cyprus negotiating table?