Christodoulides to visit Lebanon for migration talks (Updated)

President Nikos Christodoulides will travel to Lebanon on Monday for a meeting with the country’s leadership regarding immigration.

Speaking to reporters at the Presidential Palace on Friday, Christodoulides said he will be accompanied by the ministers of interior and foreign affairs, as well as by the chief of the National Guard and other state officials.

On top of that, when asked about specific support Cyprus expects from the European Commission regarding immigration, he revealed that he will meet with the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen next Sunday, adding that discussions are already underway prior to the meeting.

The president also acknowledged that Cyprus is indeed “facing a difficult situation and crisis.”

However, he assured that every possible solution to address the issue is being studied and that “nothing is ruled out at the moment.

“All the problems are being addressed, we are leaving nothing to chance,” he said.

Speaking later in the day, Foreign Minister Constantinos Kombos said “various options will be examined with the aim of reaching a satisfactory outcome on the migrants’ issue.”

“The current situation is extremely difficult,” Kombos said after meeting the leadership of Edek at the party’s headquarters in Nicosia.

“The burning migration issue concerns both society and the government, hence we are trying to make those decisions that will lead to a mitigation of the phenomenon, which is particularly worrying,” he said.

“This is something that should concern both the European Union as well as the friendly country of Lebanon.”

Meanwhile, on Friday, a total of four migrant boats were spotted off the coast of Cape Greco at around midday on Friday, according to reports.

The first was brought ashore at the Golden Coast fishing shelter in Protaras with a total of 22 people on board.

Of those 22, 15 are men, three are women, and four are unaccompanied minors. The status of the other three boats is not yet known.

The latest arrivals come as over 800 irregular migrants have made landfall in Cyprus since the weekend, having set sail from Lebanon amid warmer weather and calmer seas.