Cyprus has given notice to all other European Union countries that it will take action to block further progress in Turkey's negotiations to join the block. Cyprus warned other European states that Turkey will not come out untouched if it fails to implement an agreement with the EU requiring Ankara to extend recognition to all 10 states which joined the block in 2004, including Cyprus. Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when the Turkish military intervened and occupied the northern part. In 1983, Turkish Cypriot authorities declared the establishment of the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus," which is recognized only by Turkey. Ankara has retained some 35,000 troops in the north of the Mediterranean island. Ankara has so far refused to recognize the Republic of Cyprus, effectively governing the Greek Cypriot south. Turkish air space and ports are not open to Greek Cypriot aircraft and ships. The Cyprus issue remains one of the main obstacles to Ankara's bid to join the EU, of which the Republic of Cyprus is a member state. Turkey launched its accession talks with the EU in 2005. But EUfroze eight of the 35 negotiating chapters, or policy areas, in 2006 as a result of Ankara's stance on Cyprus. Cyprus has recently expressed its disappointment at a European Commission annual report released last month on progress of EU candidate countries, including Turkey, as the report recommended no further measures to be taken against Ankara who has so far failed to fulfilled its obligations concerning Cyprus. Cyprus warned its EU partners that if they fail to agree on sanctions against Turkey, it will act unilaterally.
A row over cats has erupted between Cyprus and Turkey, adding a surprising new flavour to a long-standing stalemate between the communities of the divided island and its difficult relationship with Turkey, the divided EU country's biggest neighbour. The Cypriot Feline Society is fighting for the recognition of two separate breeds of Cypriot cats, but groups from Turkey and the "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus" are also trying to lay claim to the island's feline legacy, the Cyprus Mail reports. "This cat belongs to its country," said Rania Razorenova, president of the Association of Cyprus Purebred Cats. "There is a real danger that foreigners – and particularly groups from Turkey – will try to officially register a Cypriot breed of cat outside Cyprus," she said. In co-operation with scientists from Davis University, California, the Cyprus Feline Society has identified two separate breeds of Cypriot cats, named St. Helena and Aphrodite. According to the society, the Cypriot cat evolved from the Van breed, originating from Lake Van in Turkey. The Aphrodite breed is larger than the St. Helena: strong, with slightly taller hind legs and a silky coat. St. Helena is smaller in size, with larger eyes but a smaller face. Efforts to register these cats as a Cypriot pedigree began last year, but in the meantime cat breeders in the north, Turkey and even Germany have tried to lay claim to the breed. Groups in Turkey have tried to cross the Cypriot cat with Turkish a breed, and then register the offspring of the two breeds in the north, presenting it as a Cypriot cat. To prevent any unpleasant surprises, the Cyprus Feline Society has taken DNA samples from the best Cypriot cats that took part in last weekend's annual cat show at Governor's Beach. The DNA samples will be sent to laboratories at Davis University in California for analysis, as a first step to registering the Cypriot cat as a pedigree breed. Cypriots were the first civilisation worldwide to have a cat as a pet. A human and a cat were found buried in the same 9,500 year-old site, Shillourokambos (which means 'field of dogs' in Cypriot dialect), by French archaeologists in 2001. Until that discovery, ancient Egyptians were considered the earliest civilisation to keep domesticated cats. The buried cat was a wildcat, larger than today's domesticated felines and about eight months old.
A French amphibious assault ship like the one Russia hopes to buy arrived Monday in St. Petersburg, fueling concern in Georgia and other ex-Soviet nations that Russia is upgrading its navy to intimidate its neighbors. The Mistral military ship, which can carry more than a dozen helicopters along with dozens of tanks and other armored vehicles, would certainly be a modern way to project Russian power. Media reports have said it would cost Russia up to euro500 million ($750 million) to buy a Mistral-class ship. The Kremlin increasingly has sought in recent years to reaffirm Russia's global reach and prestige in world affairs. It has sent its warships to patrol pirate-infested waters off Somalia and dispatched a navy squadron to the Caribbean where it took part in joint maneuvers with the Venezuelan navy and made several port calls in 2008. The Caribbean mission, aimed at flexing military muscles near the U.S. in the tense months after the war between Russia and Georgia in August 2008, was the most visible Russian navy deployment since Soviet times. But despite the Kremlin's ambitions, the post-Soviet economic meltdown has left the Russian navy with only a handful of big ships in seaworthy condition and badly crippled the nation's shipbuilding industries. Russia has only one Soviet-built aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, which is much smaller than the U.S. aircraft carriers and has been plagued by mechanical problems and accidents. The navy chief, Adm. Vladimir Vysotsky, has said a ship like Mistral would have allowed the Russian navy to mount a much more efficient operation in the Black Sea during the Russia-Georgia war. He said the French ship would take just 40 minutes to do the job that the Russian Black Sea Fleet vessels did in 26 hours, apparently referring to amphibious landing operations. Georgia was clearly worried about the possible deal. Since the 2008 war, Russia has declared the Georgian territory of Abkhazia an independent nation and sent thousands of troops there. Abkhazia has a coastline along the Black Sea that is next to Russia's coast.
A meeting of the Russia-NATO council at the level of ambassadors will be held on Wednesday at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Russia's mission to the alliance has said. Diplomats from Russia and NATO countries will meet to discuss preparations for the upcoming December 4 meeting of the Russia-NATO Council's foreign ministers. The ministerial meeting, the first official one to be held since the August 2008 armed conflict between Russia and Georgia over South Ossetia, will be organized as part of a session of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels on December 3-4. The diplomats will also discuss the forthcoming visit to Moscow by NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, also due in December. During an informal ministerial meeting in Greece in June, Russia and NATO agreed to renew cooperation on security issues, which was frozen after Russia and Georgia fought a five-day war in August over the former Georgian republic of South Ossetia, after which Russia recognized the independence of South Ossetia and Abkhazia, another former Georgian republic. Relations have also been strained by Russia's resistance to Georgia and Ukraine's bids to join NATO. NATO foreign ministers resolved to restore full-scale cooperation with Russia during their March 5 meeting in Brussels.
Justice Minister Haris Kastanidis admitted yesterday that Greece will have no choice but to remove religious icons from school classrooms and other public buildings if the European Court of Human Rights stands by a ruling it made earlier this month. “If the European Court of Human Rights sticks to its original decision that religious symbols should be removed from all public buildings, then I think our country will have to adapt to the new situation arising from this decision,” said Kastanidis in response to a question from right-wing Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS) MP Asterios Rondoulis. However, Kastanidis added that any change to the status quo, which sees icons of the Virgin Mary hung in classrooms, courtrooms and public service offices, would take place “only after agreement has been reached with the Church of Greece.” However, it seems that the Church is highly unlikely to concede to the removal of icons or crucifixes from buildings. The Church of Greece reacted angrily to such suggestions when it emerged earlier this month that the European Court of Human Rights had ruled that the presence of crucifixes in classrooms was a breach of human rights after hearing a case brought by a mother from Italy. “It is not only minorities that have rights, the majority has them as well,” said the head of the Greek Church, Archbishop Ieronymos, adding that the matter would be discussed by the Holy Synod if necessary. “Youngsters will soon not have any symbols to inspire and protect them,” said Bishop Nikolaos of Fthiotida. Bishop Anthimos of Thessaloniki said he hopes Greek officials will appeal any decision by the court in Strasbourg. The European court found that the right of parents to educate their children according to their own beliefs, and children’s right to freedom of religion, were breached by the presence of a crucifix in classrooms.
The new head of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) is expected to be elected on January 22. The Holy Synod of the SPC announced today in Belgrade that the Conclave of the Serbian Orthodox Church will meet on that day. It was also announced that the 40-day service for late Patriarch Pavle will be given on December 24. The patriarch passed away in Belgrade on November 15 and was laid to rest four days later. Meanwhile, media today continue to speculate on who might become the next spiritual leader of Serb Orthodox Christians. Blic newspaper writes that candidates include Metropolitan Amfilohije, Bishop of Zvornik and Tuzla Vasilije, Bishop of Zahumlje and Herzegovina Grigorije, and Bishop of Bačka Irinej. However, the SPC bishops and clergy have only one answer when asked about the likely successor to Patriarch Pavle: “Only the Holy Spirit knows.” The daily says that it is "already almost clear which bishops would receive the most votes after the first round of voting in the upcoming Election Conclave". Every bishop in the conclave votes for three candidates. 22 votes are needed in order to proceed to the next phase. After the first candidate is chosen in the lot, the bishops vote for two candidates, and then after the next round, just for one candidate. Even though it is possible, it is not likely that all three candidates will be chosen after the first round, writes the newspaper. According to this, Bishop Vasilije is most likely to go through after the first round of voting. "The bishop has eleven secured votes and it can be assumed with certainty that at least 17 bishops would vote for him," the article continued. The report also states that this bishop, and those close to him, had a crucial role in making some decisions while Patriarch Pavle was in hospital. Metropolitan Amfilohije, currently "the guardian of the throne", will for the most part depend on the bishops who support Vasilije in the voting, said the daily. "Amfilohije would have had a better chance even than the bishop of Zvornik and Tuzla if the Election Conclave was held earlier. However, the metropolitan has lost some support," writes Blic. The report also states that this bishop, and those close to him, had a crucial role in making some decisions while Patriarch Pavle was in hospital. Metropolitan Amfilohije, currently "the guardian of the throne", will for the most part depend on the bishops who support Vasilije in the voting, said the daily. "Amfilohije would have had a better chance even than the bishop of Zvornik and Tuzla if the Election Conclave was held earlier. However, the metropolitan has lost some support," writes Blic.
A ceremony of the transfer of an Orthodox pilgrim center in Bari, Italy, to the Russian Orthodox Church's management took place at the Patriarch's residence in Moscow. Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia said before the ceremony that "property once belonging to the Russian Church is being transferred to its disposal with the Russian state's very important participation." Vladimir Kozhin, the сhief of the Presidential Property Department, said at the ceremony that the Russian state is "only at the beginning of the way" and is taking first steps to return "shrines that are abroad of our homeland. I hope this process will gain momentum and we will make efforts so that such work be done more actively in the Kingdom of Jordan and in Israel," he said. Bari is home to the Saint Nicholas Cathedral, which was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church following a decision taken by the Italian authorities when Russia's then President Vladimir Putin was visiting the country in March 2007. In April 2008, the Italian government finalized all domestic procedures as part of the transfer of the Cathedral to Russia. A document confirming the hand-over was signed in Rome on November 13, 2008. The religious center, which is located in an area of 8,000 square meters, was established at the initiative of Grand Duchess Yelizaveta Fyodorovna of Russia to accept Russian pilgrims coming to Bari to worship St. Nicholas. It was built under the design of Russian architect Alexey Schusev and with donations from religious people, including Russia's Tsar Nicolas II, in 1913-1917. Work was not completed because of World War I. Russian emigrants, who were members of the Russian Palestinian Society, passed all church buildings to the municipality of Bari in 1937, because they lacked the funds to maintain the church. Bari authorities gave some church buildings back to Russia in late 1990s; however, the church remained in control of the municipality.