Briefly

IRAN

Washington blamed for stalled nuke deal talks

Iran said on Monday that Teheran is ready to reach a "good deal" with world powers, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Saeed Khatibzadeh told a televised news conference, blaming the United States for stalling talks to revive their 2015 nuclear pact. "Even today, we are ready to return to Vienna to reach a good deal if Washington fulfills its commitments," Khatibzadeh said. Since April 2021, eight rounds of talks have been held in the Austrian capital between Iran and the remaining parties to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action to revive the deal. However, the talks have been suspended since March when it was believed to be only a step away from a final agreement, raising deep concerns about their prospects.

MIDDLE EAST

Turkish, Israeli leaders pledge cooperation

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Israeli counterpart Isaac Herzog pledged to boost cooperation between the two countries on Sunday. During a phone call, Erdogan and Herzog discussed Turkish-Israeli relations and regional issues, and agreed that dialogue and cooperation would continue on the matters of mutual defense and the fight against terrorism, said the Turkish Directorate of Communications in a statement. Herzog thanked the Turkish leader for Turkey's efforts to fight terrorism in the region, it said. Turkey and Israel have recently seen thawing relations after a decade of deterioration in bilateral ties.

CYPRUS

Sea link with outside world reestablished

Cyprus, an island country in the eastern Mediterranean, on Sunday reestablished a regular sea link with the outside world for the first time after 21 years. Cyprus' President Nicos Anastasiades attended a ceremony at the port of Limassol to mark the launch of a ferry connection with Greece, hailing the event as "historic". The last ferry departure from Cyprus to Greece had been in October 2001. After that, only cargo vessels and international cruise ships docked in Cypriot ports. Up to 2001, there were the regular departure of ferries from Limassol to Rhodes and Piraeus but were discontinued as people had the alternative of a 90-minute air travel, as flights to Athens became more frequent and inexpensive.

Agencies - Xinhua