Confidence Building Measures for the Cyprus dispute

Defense officials and diplomats in Athens and Nicosia are on standby for potential developments in the Eastern Mediterrenanean in the coming period while international observers await a fresh peace push aimed at reunifying Cyprus. 

Ahead of Friday's crucial meeting between Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish-Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar issued new threats against Nicosia Thursday, saying that no one should "test our strength, our force, as the price will be heavy."

The prospects for the scheduled 9 August meeting between Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish-Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci are hardly optimistic.

They come among heightened Turkish threats and blatant violations of international law and Ankara'as continued illegal drilling in Cyprus EEZ (exclusive economic zone).

UN Secretary-General's special envoy Jane Holl Lute expressed hope that an informal meeting between Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish-Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci on Friday will yield positive results.
She was further quoted as saying the UN diplomat will return to the island in the next weeks.

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades is meeting with party leaders on Monday at his residence in Troodos, ahead of a meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci on August 9.

Greek Cypriot leaders on ethnically split Cyprus have turned down a renewed proposal by breakaway Turkish Cypriots to form a joint committee on managing natural gas discovered offshore the east Mediterranean island nation.

A proposal by Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci for a committee that would jointly administer natural gas affairs is expected to be rejected by the government and party leaders in Cyprus when they meet on Tuesday.

The United Nations has lauded the news that mobile phone coverage has been extended to both sides of the divide on the east Mediterranean island nation of Cyprus.
That means Turkish Cypriots living in the Turkish-occupied north and Greek Cypriots living in the internationally recognized south can use their mobile devices on either side for the first time.

An initiative to build bridges between the Greek and Turkish speaking communities of ethnically split Cyprus faltered Tuesday after the leader of the breakaway Turkish Cypriots skipped a soccer match over a dispute of the games location.

The President of Cyprus, Nikos Anastasiades, and Turkish-Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci agreed at a meeting today to implement confidence-building measures (CBMs) mainly in the sectors of telephony and electricity grids.

The move comes a year-and-a-half after the collapse of Cyprus settlement talks at Crans Montana, Switzerland with a new push to jump-start the talks underway.