Presidents of Cyprus

Thursday morning's summit meeting between Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides will be taking place in a climate of dissatisfaction and disappointment caused in Athens by the "fine print" of the decision of the Cyprus cabinet on the course of the electricity interconnection between Crete and Cyprus.

Athens is cautiously confident about reaching a final agreement on the Crete-Cyprus electricity interconnection following the Cypriot government's commitment to invest €125 million over the next five years in the project.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides will meet in Athens on Thursday 19 September to discuss the Crete-Cyprus electricity interconnection project.

There have been rapid developments regarding the Crete-Cyprus-Israel electrical cable, as for the first time in several weeks, there appears to be a positive atmosphere between the two sides, with the possibility of finalizing the agreement within the next few hours.

Cyprus has yet to decide whether it will remain the last energy-isolated country in the EU or gain access to the European electricity market through Greece.

The US Ambassador to Cyprus, Julie Fisher, reiterated today that the connection of the electricity distribution networks between Greece and Cyprus represents a great opportunity for Cyprus.

Messages to the European Commission, Cyprus and the industry included yesterday’s press conference of the Prime Minister at the TIF, setting the tone for the government’s policy focusing on electricity prices and the fate of the electric cable which enters the most crucial period of negotiations tomorrow.

The Greek and Cypriot governments are in search of a political solution to save the project and take on the geopolitical risk of the electricity Great Sea Interconnector after repeated negotiations since early summer have led the two sides to an impasse, as the time for the project counts dow

Cyprus has named Costas Kadis, a scientist who held several cabinet posts in previous administrations, as its nominee for a post in the European Commission.

If the EU's parliament confirms the 57-year-old in the role, he will replace Cyprus's Stella Kyriakidou, who holds the health portfolio. Kadis had not been among those rumoured for the post.

Cyprus' government on Friday refuted reports widely circulated on social media that Cyprus is allowing countries involved in the Middle East conflict access to its military facilities.