Cypriot government

The Cypriot government has declared a three-day period of mourning for the east Mediterranean island's former president, Dimitris Christofias, who died at the age of 72.
Government spokesman Prodromos Prodromou said Saturday that Christofias' funeral will be held with honors befitting a sitting head of state.

Turkey launched a second drilling ship on Thursday which will conduct natural gas operations off the northeast coast of Cyprus for three months, a move which risks aggravating a conflict with Cyprus over jurisdiction rights for oil and gas exploration.

Turkey's second drill ship Yavuz will operate in a borehole near Cyprus' Karpas peninsula, to the northeast of the island, for around three months and reach a depth of 3,300 metres (3,609 yards), Energy Minister Fatih Donmez said on Thursday.

Greek-American lobbyist Andy Manatos of the firm Manatos & Manatos has responded to a US Justice Department act aimed at cracking down on violations of lobbying rules by registering as an agent acting on behalf of Cyprus' government, Politico has reported.

EU Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier will discuss the developments on Britain's exit from the European Union with the Cypriot government and parliament during a visit to the country on Monday.

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades will issue a demarche to British Prime Minister Theresa May over the "unacceptable" comments made in the British Parliament on Tuesday by UK Minister of State for Europe Alan Duncan, who described Cyprus' exclusive economic zone (EEZ), where Turkey plans to conduct exploratory hydrocarbon activities, as an area whose "sovereignty is under dispute."

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades is seeking support from other European Union leaders at an informal summit in Romania against Turkey's bid to drill for hydrocarbons in waters where the Mediterranean island nation has exclusive economic rights.

Cyprus' president has called Turkey's bid to drill for natural gas in waters off the island a "second invasion" and a violation of international law.

President Nicos Anastasiades said Turkey's behavior creates "insurmountable problems" in efforts to restart talks aimed at reunifying ethnically divided Cyprus. He said Monday there can be no talks while the island remains under threat.

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades will discuss Turkey's provocative "hydrocarbon exploration" within Cyprus' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) at the informal European Council in Sibiu, Romania, next Thursday, May 9.

The Cypriot government continues to prioritize handling the issue within the European Union, aiming at making these transgressions costly for Ankara.

The Cypriot government is on the back foot Friday after a decision by the Supreme Court to declare unconstitutional the law implementing public sector salary cuts cuts following the financial crisis.
The legislation was passed in December 2012 on the grounds that the Cypriot economy was in an extraordinary situation and the cuts were seen as necessary to rectify state finances.