THE PRESIDENT OF CYPRUS WILL MEET WITH THE POPE

On Friday, the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, will travel to Rome to visit Pope Francis. The head of Cyprus will be received at the Vatican by the Swiss Guard, after which he will have a private meeting with the Pope.

A representative of the government, Konstantinos Letymbiotis, stated that "the president's visit to Rome marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Cyprus and the Holy See."

It is expected that Nicos Anastasiades will "express the gratitude of the Cypriot people to the Holy See for the charitable work of the Roman Catholic Church worldwide."

The president will also brief the Pope on the efforts undertaken by the Republic of Cyprus to resume negotiations on the Cyprus issue and the need to appoint a UN envoy to Cyprus.

Additionally, while in Rome, Nicos Anastasiades will meet with the Grand Master of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, John T. Dunlap, a Catholic religious order of laypeople considered a sovereign entity under international law.

It is also noted that the trip to Rome will follow the President's visit to Serbia, where he will travel on Wednesday. It is expected that the governments of Cyprus and Serbia will sign memorandums of understanding in the fields of education, science, innovation, and advanced technologies.