CYPRUS: Top US Congressman in Nicosia visit to discuss arms embargo

US House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Eliot Engel will be in Nicosia on Monday, to discuss energy issues, Turkey’s incursion of Cyprus’ EEZ, bilateral relations and lifting a US arms embargo.

CNA reports that the US Democratic Representative for New York’s 16th congressional district will be received by President Nicos Anastasiades and will meet Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides.

He is also expected to hold meetings with Defence Minister Savvas Angelides, and UN Secretary General’s Special Representative in Cyprus, Elizabeth Spehar, and visit the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) anthropological lab, where he will be briefed about the Committee’s work.

Ankara has issued a navigational telex, announcing its intention to start drilling off Cyprus until September 3.

The Turkish drill ship “Fatih” is located about 40 nautical miles west of the Akamas peninsula and 83 nautical miles from the Turkish coast but hasn’t started drilling. The area falls within the EEZ and continental shelf of the Republic of Cyprus.

Democratic Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey and Republican Senator Marco Rubio of Florida back a bipartisan bill seeking to lift the US arms embargo on Cyprus.