Eastern Mediterranean

​“Energy could be a good platform for reconciliation in politically laden regions, like Cyprus and beyond, but unfortunately, it has become yet another chapter in the book of the conflict.”

This book examines the foreign policy of the Republic of Cyprus, particularly since 2004—the year of its accession to the European Union and of the failed Annan Plan V of the United Nations which aimed to solve the decades-old Cyprus Problem. Scholarly work about the politics and foreign policy of the Republic of Cyprus (RoC) has been almost entirely analyzed through the prism of the Cyprus Problem. This is not without justification since the Cyprus Problem is indeed central to the social, political, and economic life of Cyprus. However, Cyprus is located in a highly neuralgic area of historical and geopolitical importance that is, more often than not, characterized by rapid developments, instability, and insecurity. Therefore, the RoC's politics and foreign policy go well beyond the confines of the Cyprus Problem, or so they should. Although the subject of the book is not international by definition, the book touches upon many regional and international dimensions that render it relevant for anyone who wants to better understand not just Cyprus but also the broader region and its importance for regional and international actors.

​Over the past decade, Israel-Cyprus relations have improved dramatically. Jump-started by a shared concern over regional in/stability during the Arab Spring, a mutual desire to profit from discovery of large off-shore gas reserves in the Mediterranean, and the souring of Israel-Turkey relations, cooperation between the neighbors has rapidly become a major geopolitical reality in the Eastern Mediterranean. While others have discussed the emergence and nature of this new alignment, the present paper focuses on how viewed by the Israeli elites view the Israel-Cyprus relationship. Using media reports, parliamentary protocols, government statements, and other open-source materials, the paper examines how Israeli elites perceive the importance, nature and future of their strong relationship with the Republic of Cyprus.

Introduction - Coordination: Kyriakos Pierides, Vice President of the Board of OPEK

• PART A (in Greek): Harry Tzimitras, PRIO Cyprus Centre, Director
• PART B (in English): Özdil Nami, former Negotiator of the Turkish Cypriot Community
• PART C (both in Greek and English): Comments and Questions

TOPICS TO BE DISCUSSED

• Is there a strategic shift to permanent division?
  
• How can we revive the BBF and UN body of work?
• What does result oriented process mean and how can we achieve it?
• What is the impact on bicommunal relations? 
• How will Geneva affect EU-Turkish positive agenda? Which is the role of EU on searching for solutions?
  

The event takes place in the context of the project "Citizens Forum to Reform Europe"

​Zenonas Tziarras comments on the new round of talks on the Cyprus Problem that are taking place in Geneva.

​Ομιλητές:

 Χαράλαμπος Έλληνας, - Εμπειρογνώμονας σε θέματα υδρογονανθράκων, Senior Fellow, Global Energy Center, Atlantic Council

 Χάρης Τζήμητρας, - Διευθυντής Κυπριακού Κέντρου Ερευνητικού Ινστιτούτου του Όσλο για την Ειρήνη (PRIO), Καθηγητής Διεθνούς Δικαίου

Η εκδήλωση πραγματοποιείται στο πλαίσιο του προγράμματος ΟΠΕΚ - "Φόρουμ Πολιτών για την Ευρώπη"

​Varosha: Between Human Rights and Realpolitik

Last summer Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots opened up the ghost town of Varosha, a suburb of Famagusta, fenced off and uninhabited since the division of the island in 1974. In this podcast, Mete Hatay, Senior Research Consultant at the PRIO Cyprus Centre, provides interesting background information on the ghost town and discusses the political implications of the opening as well as ways forward.