Resolving the Cyprus issue is in the interest of EU energy security

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu asked Brussels to urge Nicosia to settle the Cyprus issue in order to secure gas supplies to the EU. The most cost-effective supply route from the Eastern Mediterranean to Europe goes via Turkey and passes through Cyprus. And equal distribution of energy supplies from the region would benefit all countries, Cavusoglu said. He reminded that the Turkish community on the island had proposed options for an even-handed agreement on the distribution of resources and income, but these were rejected. The Turkish foreign minister indicated that gas production in the Mediterranean would be a matter of discussion during his visit to Israel. The leaders of the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities, Nicos Anastasiades and Ersin Tatar, met for the first time in seven months, reports the Phileleftheros daily.  They discussed increasing the percentage of women participants in the bilateral negotiations.

Serbia receives Chinese air defence missiles

Six Chinese transport aircraft have delivered HQ-22 air defence systems to Belgrade by flying through Turkey and Bulgaria. President Aleksandar Vučić said this was the most powerful defence weapon Serbia will now have. The EU and the United States have expressed concern that Russia and China arming Serbia could push the Balkans into another war, the Associated Press reported. Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti said Serbia is arming itself because it fears it will be left alone when it becomes clear it can no longer sit on a number of chairs, BETA news agency reported. Vučić responded by saying that "any animal can be seen in the circus, except a lone wolf", and Serbia is "more willing to accept the role of a lone wolf" than that of a "hyena, shameless and immoral", or a "swarm of flies waiting for prey".

Athens demands return of parthenon marble Gods from Britain

The new director of the Acropolis Museum, Nikos Stampolidis, said it was time to resolve the long-running dispute over the return to Greece of the Parthenon marble friezes and asked the parliament in London to rule on the case.

Stampolis told AFP that "this is not just about a work of art that is far from its place of origin, but about a piece of architecture that is a symbol of world culture". Depicting figures of ancient Greek mythology, the 75-meter frieze and its 17 statues were sawed off the Parthenon temple and shipped to London by Lord Elgin in the early 19th century, during his tenure as Ambassador to the Ottoman Empire. He sold them to the British government, which handed them over to the British Museum in 1817. In March 2021, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the Ta Nea newspaper that he understood "the feelings of the Greek people", but the sculptures "were acquired in accordance with the laws in force at the time".

Austrian multi-purpose tractor plant under construction in Romania

Austrian company Syn Trac plans to invest 400 million euro ($435 million) in the construction of a tractor assembly plant in Romania, Romanian media reported on Friday. The future plant in Ghioroc, Arad county, is expected to become operational in October 2023, the Agerpres news agency reported. The owner of Syn Trac, Stefan Putz, said that the tractors assembled in Ghioroc have a unique capacity and can switch from farming functions to utility readiness in 60 seconds.

Pressure to close Open Balkans initiative

The Western countries are against the initiative of the Serbian president "Open Balkans" because they believe it aims at restoring Belgrade's anti-European influence in the region, BGNES agency reports. It quotes an issue of the Serbian daily Blitz focusing on the regional initiative. "The pressure from the West is increasing by the day. The British are the most serious opponents of the initiative of President Aleksandar Vučić, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev," the newspaper said. According to "Blitz", the greatest pressure is exerted in Skopje, where the current Prime Minister Dimitar Kovacevski is the weakest link after Zaev's resignation. Some of the agreements stemming from the initiative are already being implemented between these three countries. The initiative was rejected by Kosovo, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina

Compiled by: Ivo Ivanov

Photos: EPA/BGNES, syn-trac.at, library