Cyprus Foreign Minister to visit Tel Aviv for talks

Cyprus Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides flies to Israel on Tuesday to hold talks with his Israeli counterpart Gabi Ashkenazi on developments in the region including Turkey’s activity and the conflict in Libya.

The Cyprus News Agency said that Christodoulides and Ashkenazi had a telephone conversation during which the Cypriot Minister accepted from his Israeli counterpart to meet to discuss bilateral relations between Cyprus and Israel and developments in the broader Eastern Mediterranean.

Due to the general situation of the COVID-19 pandemic in Israel and protective health measures imposed, the meeting will take place at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport where Christodoulides will land on Tuesday.

After the meeting he will return to Cyprus.

Unscheduled discussion between the two foreign ministers comes after President Nicos Anastasiades postponed an official visit to Israel for June 23. He was to head a delegation of key ministers such as foreign, defence and energy.

However, he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to postpone the visit, in view of the worsening coronavirus pandemic in Israel.

They decided to reschedule the visit as soon as conditions allow it.