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NICOSIA, Cyprus — ExxonMobil could partner up with a consortium composed of Eni of Italy and Total of France to jointly develop gas deposits they’ve discovered close to each other off Cyprus’ southern coast, the Cypriot energy minister said Friday. Cyprus officials have repeatedly said that offshore gas deposits could bolster Europe’s efforts to secure alternative energy sources following Russia’s …

Lebanese officials work to maintain friendly relations with Cyprus following Hezbollah threats

BEIRUT — Lebanese government officials worked Thursday to maintain friendly relations with Cyprus a day after the militant Hezbollah group threatened to attack the Mediterranean island if it allows Israel to use its territories to attack Lebanon. Nasrallah said his group has information that the Israel’s military is conducting maneuvers in Cyprus in mountainous areas similar to those of Lebanon …

US, Cyprus embark on strategic dialogue that officials say demonstrates closest-ever ties

NICOSIA, Cyprus — Cyprus-U.S. relations have reached their highest level yet after the two countries embarked on a strategic dialogue on key issues including defense, security, energy, crisis management and the fight against terrorism, officials said Monday. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken hailed the development as a “powerful evidence of the strengthening, deepening broadening of the relationship between our …

Qatar’s ruler looking to invest in energy, ports and high-tech in Cyprus, official says

NICOSIA, Cyprus — The emir of Qatar is looking to invest in energy and high-tech in Cyprus — projects seen as having a strong economic potential, a Cypriot official said Tuesday. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, who visited the east Mediterranean island nation on Tuesday for the first time, is also interested in investing in Cypriot ports and banking …

NICOSIA, Cyprus — One of the five children who were hospitalized in Cyprus after being rescued from a rickety boat carrying 60 Syrian migrants has died, officials said Thursday. The migrants, who were rescued early Wednesday by Cyprus police, apparently ran out of food and water after the boat had engine trouble during a six-day voyage from Lebanon, officials said. …

Cyprus officials implicated in plan to sell passport to criminals

Several high-ranking Cypriot officials, politicians, lawyers and real estate developers are implicated in a scheme that allows criminals to buy a European passport using the country’s citizenship through an investment programme, an Al Jazeera investigation has found. Convicted Chinese businessman Cyprus’s citizenship through investment programme grants a Cypriot passport to anyone who invests at least $2.5m in the country, often …

A huge leak of confidential Cypriot government documents obtained by Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit called The Cyprus Papers reveals that dozens of high-level officials and their families bought so-called “golden passports” from Cyprus between late 2017 and late 2019. The revelation comes one day after Al Jazeera’s Investigative Unit revealed that Cyprus sold passports to convicted criminals and fugitives from …