Earl and Countess of Wessex to underscore UK-Cyprus ties

Jun 21, 2022, 1:34 AM | Updated: 1:36 am

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — The Earl and Countess of Wessex met Tuesday with the president of Cyprus as part of a three-day visit to the former British colony to underscore close bilateral ties and to meet soldiers serving with a U.N. peacekeeping force and those stationed at two U.K. military bases.

The Earl — the youngest child of Queen Elizabeth and her late husband Prince Philip — and his wife were received by Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and his wife Andri at the Presidential Palace in the capital, Nicosia.

Anastasiades was expected to discuss with the royal couple ways to bolster relations between the U.K. and Cyprus, where thousands of British expatriates live and many more visit as a popular vacation destination.

The Cypriot president also planned to discuss the government’s latest efforts to restart stalled negotiations aimed at reunifying the ethnically divided island nation.

Cyprus was split in 1974 when Turkey invaded following a coup by supporters of union with Greece. Numerous rounds of reunification talks with Turkish Cypriots — whose declaration of independence is recognized only by Turkey — have failed.

The royal couple will also meet British peacekeepers inside a U.N. buffer zone that cuts across the Cypriot capital. The Countess will speak with women and young people who are working to bolster peace efforts.

The Earl and Countess will be briefed on current operations by British forces stationed at two military bases the U.K. retained following Cyprus’ independence in 1960.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Haitian migrant Gerson Solay, 28, carries his daughter, Bianca, as he and his family cross into Can...
Associated Press

US, Canada to end loophole that allows asylum-seekers to move between countries

President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday announced a plan to close a loophole to an immigration agreement.
2 days ago
Expert skateboarder Di'Orr Greenwood, an artist born and raised in the Navajo Nation in Arizona and...
Associated Press

Indigenous skateboard art featured on new stamps unveiled at Phoenix skate park

The Postal Service unveiled the “Art of the Skateboard" stamps at a Phoenix skate park, featuring designs from Indigenous artists.
2 days ago
(Facebook Photo/City of San Luis, Arizona)...
Associated Press

San Luis authorities receive complaints about 911 calls going across border

Authorities in San Luis say they are receiving more complaints about 911 calls mistakenly going across the border.
8 days ago
(Pexels Photo)...
Associated Press

Daylight saving time begins in most of US this weekend

No time change is observed in Hawaii, most of Arizona, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Marianas.
16 days ago
Mexican army soldiers prepare a search mission for four U.S. citizens kidnapped by gunmen in Matamo...
Associated Press

How the 4 abducted Americans in Mexico were located

The anonymous tip that led Mexican authorities to a remote shack where four abducted Americans were held described armed men and blindfolds.
16 days ago
Tom Brundy points to a newly built irrigation canal on one of the fields at his farm Tuesday, Feb. ...
Associated Press

Southwest farmers reluctant to idle farmland to save water

There is a growing sense that fallowing will have to be part of the solution to the increasingly desperate drought in the West.
23 days ago

Sponsored Articles

...
Day & Night Air Conditioning, Heating and Plumbing

Company looking for oldest air conditioner and wants to reward homeowner with new one

Does your air conditioner make weird noises or a burning smell when it starts? If so, you may be due for an AC unit replacement.
...
Day & Night Air Conditioning, Heating and Plumbing

Prep the plumbing in your home just in time for the holidays

With the holidays approaching, it's important to know when your home is in need of heating and plumbing updates before more guests start to come around.
(Desert Institute for Spine Care photo)...
DESERT INSTITUTE FOR SPINE CARE

Why DISC is world renowned for back and neck pain treatments

Fifty percent of Americans and 90% of people at least 50 years old have some level of degenerative disc disease.
Earl and Countess of Wessex to underscore UK-Cyprus ties