Nicos Christodoulides

Michel Barnier, the European Union's chief negotiator for Brexit, reiterated on Monday EU readiness to respond accordingly in case Turkey carries out illegal hydrocarbon drilling activities, noting that the EU stands clearly behind Cyprus.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Junker expressed his support for Cyprus in its standoff with Turkey over the latter's illegal drilling activities within the Eastern Mediterranean island's exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Developments are expected in the implementation of Cyprus' energy planning in the next few days, the country's Foreign Minister Nicos Christodoulides said on Thursday, speaking at an event to mark Europe Day in Nicosia.
Christodoulides also said Cypriot authorities will "very soon" issue the first arrest warrants for the crew of Turkey's Fatih drillship off Cyprus.

Cypriot authorities have submitted to the United Nations the coordinates delineating the boundaries of Cyprus' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and the continental shelf in the wake of Turkey's decision to start drilling within Cyprus' EEZ.

Cyprus's foreign minister says he is optimistic that the US will soon start lifting a decades-old arms embargo because Washington acknowledges the island nation's contribution to bolstering stability and security in the east Mediterranean.

Jordan's foreign affairs minister says his country is seeking closer ties with Greece and Cyprus as part of a strategy to bolster regional peace and security and promote economic cooperation.

Ayman Safadi says Jordan's King Abdullah is keen on expanding this partnership in "every possible direction."

Moscow warned Nicosia on Wednesday that increasing military cooperation with the US to counter Russian influence in the region will "inevitably lead to dangerous and destabilizing consequences for Cyprus itself", Kathimerini reported.

The US State Department has hailed the Statement of Intent to strengthen and develop the bilateral security relationship between Washington and Nicosia, signed on Tuesday by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Cyprus Foreign Minister Nicos Christodoulides.

Cyprus's president has called on Turkey to cooperate on exploiting the East Mediterranean's potential oil and gas wealth, as long as the ethnically split island nation is reunified.

Cyprus and Britain are very close to a Brexit agreement on the status of the British bases on the eastern Mediterranean island after Britain leaves the European Union, Foreign Minister Nicos Christodoulides said on Tuesday.

He told state television in an interview that the negotiations have reached the "final straight," meaning they are close to the end.