Anastasiades to visit Spain in December

President Nicos Anastasiades is to visit Spain on December 9 after accepting an invitation by the country’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, it was announced on Thursday.

According to government spokesman Marios Pelekanos, Anastasiades accepted the invitation extended by Sanchez during a telephone conversation earlier in the day. The visit will take place on December 9.

“The purpose of the visit will be to further strengthen relations between the two countries, issues on the EU agenda, issues related to peace and security, security and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean region, migration and other common challenges the two countries face,” Pelekanos said.

He also said that Anastasiades had the opportunity to brief Sanchez about the latest developments in the Cyprus issue, in view of the forthcoming visit of the Spanish prime minister to Turkey.

Anastasiades and Sanchez will also have the opportunity to meet during the international conference on Libya, which will be held on Friday in Paris. The conference is being organised with the United Nations, Germany and Italy, ahead of elections planned in Libya for December 24.

US Vice President Kamala Harris is to also attend the summit, as part of a broader, five-day diplomatic trip to France, reports said.

This will be the first time Cyprus will participate in a conference on Libya where the withdrawal of foreign troops is to be discussed and the political transition in the country, in view of the December elections.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose country is one of the key players in the Libyan conflict, had said last week he would not participate in the summit if Greece, Israel and Cyprus attended. Erdogan said after a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron that if these countries are to attend the conference, then there was no need to even send special representatives.

France’s foreign minister said last month the conference on Libya aimed to give a final international push so that elections would be held by year-end and to endorse the departure of foreign forces.