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Unprecedented security in place for Lavrov, Kerry visits: Cypriot official

Xinhua, November 30, 2015 Adjust font size:

Unprecedented security measures will be in place during visits by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to Cyprus this week, a Ministry of Justice and Security source said Monday.

Lavrov is due in Cyprus on Tuesday for a two-day visit and talks with the government.

Kerry will pay a one-day visit on Thursday, which was originally planned for November but put off in the aftermath of the downing of the Russian SU-24 fighter by Turkish planes.

The source said airports and ports were being guarded round the clock by detachments of the special anti-terrorist police unit and checks at crossing points on the green line separating the government controlled territory from the Turkish occupied have been stepped up.

"The security measures will turn Cyprus into a fortress," the source told state television.

The poorly surveyed 180-km long border has often been used by Islamic State (ISIS) fighters arriving in the EU country from Europe to slip into the Turkish controlled area and from there to reach either Syria or Iraq through Turkey.

Cyprus has been divided into Turkish-Cyriots occupied north and Greek-Cyriots occupied south since 1974.

An official at the office of Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades said talks with both Lavov and Kerry will center on the ongoing negotiations to solve the Cyprus problem and on regional issues, including the drive against the Islamic State and the refugee problem.

Cyprus is about 100 km from Syria and is being used for launching air strikes by British RAF Tornadoes against the ISIS in Iraq.

Cyprus has allowed facilities offered by Britain at its air base at Akrotiri on its southern shores to French planes which carry out strikes at ISIS positions in Syria. Endit