Cyprus

[Endovelico]

Cyprus to offer military facilities to Russia
Xinhua, February 7, 2015

Cyprus will offer Russia military facilities on its soil, President Nicos Anastasiades said on Friday.

In an interview with a local newspaper, Anastasiades said that a pact strengthening defense relations between the two countries will be signed when he visits Moscow on Feb. 25.

"There is an old (defense) agreement which is to be renewed as it is. At the same time, some additional facilities will be provided just like we do with other countries - France and Germany for example," Anastasiades said.

Cyprus is currently providing facilities to French planes, such as refueling and maintenance at an air force base near the western city of Paphos and port facilities to German ships supporting the United Nations peace operations in Lebanon.

The air force base at which Russian planes will use is about 40 kilometers from Britain's sovereign Air Force base at Akrotiri, on the south shores of Cyprus, which provides support to NATO operations in the Middle and Near East regions.

Cyprus and Russia traditionally enjoy close relations based on cultural ties and a common religious tradition.

Russia has been one of the main supporters of Cyprus in its decades old dispute with Turkey, providing both political and military support in the form of arms sales.

Anastasiades said in his interview that Cyprus opposes additional sanctions against Russia by the European Union over Ukraine.

"We want to avoid further deterioration in relations between Russia and Europe," said Anastasiades.

He added that a positive aspect is that many countries within the European Union are feeling the same way, supporting the diplomatic way rather than additional sanctions against Russia.

"Cyprus and Russia enjoy traditionally good relations and that is not going to change," Anastasiades said.

He said that the current Russian economic crisis will probably affect some sectors of the Cypriot economy which is struggling to return to growth following the eastern Mediterranean island's bailout in a 10-billion-euro deal with the Eurogroup and the International Monetary Fund early in 2013.

"Tourism, services, investments in property ... the crisis certainly affects our economy negatively," Anastasiades said.

http://en.chinagate.cn/2015-02/07/content_34758856.htm

Very interesting, indeed. Greece could follow suit, and Russia - or China - could lend Greece the money it needs in the next months, so that Greece can tell the Eurogroup where to stick its ultimatum... Isn't there any one smart person left in the EU in order to avoid a complete disaster in the EU?...

[Endovelico]

Now you can see where it is...

[Endovelico]

Cyprus denies 'Russia deal on military bases'

Cyprus has denied Russian media reports that it is ready to lease two military bases to Russia.

"There is no question of Russian air or naval military bases on the soil of Cyprus," said Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides.

Earlier, Russian government newspaper Rossiiskaya Gazeta said Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades would make the offer on an official visit to Moscow on 25 February.

Cyprus is in the EU but not in Nato.

The leasing deal would concern an air base near Paphos and a naval base at Limassol, according to Rossiiskaya Gazeta. Russia can already use the bases temporarily.

But Mr Kasoulides dismissed the leasing claim, saying "there has never been any request from Russia about this", the Cyprus News Agency CNA reported.

He said President Anastasiades was referring to "the renewal of a military co-operation agreement with Russia consisting of maintenance of military equipment sold to Cyprus years ago, as well as the purchase of spare parts according to existing contracts".

He added that "as regards the offering of facilities, these are of a purely non-military humanitarian nature, such as the evacuation of Russian civilians from the Middle East if the need arises".

Russian warships can already use the Limassol base for refuelling and the Andreas Papandreou air base for humanitarian missions.

Financial help?

In the eastern Mediterranean the Russian navy can only repair ships currently at a small naval dockyard in Tartus, on Syria's coast, Rossiiskaya Gazeta reports.

In exchange for a deal on bases Cyprus could receive Russian financial help for its still ailing banking sector, which suffered a meltdown in 2013, the paper says.

However, Russia - a major oil and gas exporter - faces financial difficulties itself this year, because of EU sanctions and the slump in oil prices.

Russian businesses began moving billions of dollars to Cyprus in the early 1990s, taking advantage of low tax rates and treating it as a "safe haven". But the 2013 Cyprus bailout imposed losses on Russian investors, as well as others.

Tensions with Turkey

As part of a deal Russia could also help Cyprus by putting pressure on Turkey, Rossiiskaya Gazeta says, as Turkey is opposed to Cypriot offshore oil and gas exploration.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded the north in response to a military coup on the island which was backed by the Athens government. The self-styled Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is not internationally recognised.

The idea of leasing bases to Russia would be highly controversial, as Cyprus has to comply with EU sanctions imposed on Russia over Moscow's intervention in eastern Ukraine. Those sanctions include Russian military industries.

Such a move could also raise tensions with the UK, which has two big sovereign military bases in Cyprus - RAF Akrotiri and Dhekelia.

Nato has complained about a surge in the number of Russian military flights in European airspace, seen as an echo of the Cold War.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31293330

So it seems it is not true. At least for now...