Cyprus warns EU and US to wake up over Putin-Erdogan deals

Cyprus on Friday denounced Turkey to the European Union and the United States in relation to the Putin-Erdogan agreements, as well as other actions which undermine western sanctions against Russia, Foreign Minister, Ioannis Kasoulides said.

Speaking to Cybc’s Trito radio channel, Kasoulides said that he called on European partners to examine the content of this agreement, and explained that, among other things, it includes provision for the export of gold from Russia to Turkey.

“In this type of transaction, it is certain that the embargo is violated, since everything that reaches Turkey will be able to be exported,” Kasoulides explained.

The foreign minister also said that the same tactic was followed by Turkey in the past with the embargo against Iran.

He recalled that there is an ongoing trial against the Turkish bank ‘Hulk’, for exporting Iranian gold.

At the same time, he declared that if the European partners choose silence, Cyprus will persevere until they are “awakened”.

The foreign minister underlined that an effort is being made to overturn the image of the mediator promoted by Turkey due to the agreement on Ukrainian cereals, which is accepted in the European Union.

Meanwhile, on the stuttering Cyprus problem talks, Kasoulides told Cybc that there is the prospect of discussing confidence building measures (CBMs) and such a dialogue “will be easy to do”, if the appointment of an envoy of the Secretary-General on the Cyprus issue is launched,

Kasoulides said that President Nicos Anastasiades, who is entering the last months of his term in office, is seeking the resumption of talks.

This, he added, will be done by appointing a special envoy like Jane Holl Lute in the past.

Regarding a meeting between Anastasiades and the UN Secretary-General in New York later this month on the sidelines of the General Assembly, Kasoulides said that it was a given that it would take place.

He explained that these are established meetings and that the UN Secretary-General always meets with all the leaders who will address the General Assembly.