Cyprus was on high alert yesterday as it prepared for the historic visit of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who was due to arrive in the early hours of this morning after a last-minute flight delay.

The Russian President was initially due to arrive around midnight at the old Larnaca Airport where Foreign Minister Marcos Kyprianou, and a host of Cypriot media, had gone to greet him. But Medvedev’s flight from Algiers was delayed by over an hour, Kyprianou said.

A bulletproof limo – flown over from Russia yesterday – was waiting to transport him to the Hilton Hotel in Nicosia on his arrival.

Medvedev is being accompanied by a large entourage, including dozens of businessmen and 60 Russian journalists. Draconian security measures were put in place, with over 300 policemen on alert since yesterday.

The Hilton was vetted from top to bottom by the police and sniffer dogs, who searched the entire hotel, inside and out, for explosives.
Bomb experts checked both floors were Medvedev and his delegation will be staying, while the entire first floor of the hotel was closed off to the public.

A bulletproof limo was flown over from Russia, and was being kept at the Russian Embassy until the President’s arrival, along with another two vehicles for the Russian state officials that would be accompanying him.

At around 8pm last night, these vehicles, along with the ones that would be given by Cyprus for use by the Russian delegation, were searched extensively by police.

The entire hotel, including the parking area, was cordoned off with a strong police presence in and around the perimeter.

The security plan was coordinated by local police and members of Medvedev’s team, which has been in Cyprus for the past few days and has attended meetings at police headquarters.

Although police said no roads would be closed off to the public – as they were during the Pope’s June visit – motorists should be aware that there could be temporary roadblocks as the delegation moves around.

President Demetris Christofias yesterday described the visit as a success of his government and a “historic event”, while he said he hoped the visit would send its own messages.

“I feel the visit is a great achievement of this government, which I hope will be appreciated,” said Christofias. “It is a historic event, which of course is related to the longstanding common tradition of the two states - which will be sealed once again – and the very close political, financial and cultural relations between the two countries.”

Medvedev’s visit would mean a lot for the Cyprus problem also, the President pointed out.

In Limassol, he added, there is a large Russian community. “It has qualitative characteristics; it is a dynamic community, which has flourished a large business activity that is to the best interests of the people of both countries,” said Christofias.

Asked if the visit should send messages to other Cypriot parties, Christofias said he hoped “the people at least get these messages and understand the importance of visits, such as of the Pope, Medvedev, (Angela) Merkel and other Presidents who will follow – among them (Nicolas) Sarkozy”.

Today, Medvedev will meet President Christofias at the Presidential Palace, where a special ceremony has been planned.

The two presidents will engage in talks, and then Medvedev will head off for the House of Representatives where he will meet with House President Marios Garoyian. He will then meet Archbishop Chrysostomos II in the afternoon.

Medvedev will then join President Christofias to attend the opening ceremony of the Russian Trade Bank and in the evening a banquet will be held in his honour. The Russian president will then be waved off by Kyprianou as he departs for Moscow at 10.20pm tonight.

The visit was covered extensively by the Russian media, especially the agreements that will be signed today.

In an interview to Russian news agency ITAR-TASS, Christofias said Russia was Cyprus’ dearest friend and at the same time a tried, tested and irreplaceable ally in efforts to find a solution to the Cyprus problem.

The island’s political parties agreed Medvedev’s visit was of vast significance.

Deputy DISY spokesman Christoforos Fokaides said Russia remained one of the most powerful countries on the planet and further strengthening Cypriot Russian relations would bring significant benefits on a political as well as financial level.

He said Cyprus could use Turkey’s new relations with Russia to convince the former to alter its stance in the Cyprus problem.

In an announcement, DIKO welcomed the Russian President and said it hoped the visit would further reinforce the strong bonds of friendship and cooperation between Cyprus and Russia.

DIKO expressed its gratitude to the Russian people and leadership, for their steady and efficient support they offer Cyprus and its people.
EDEK leader Yiannakis Omirou welcomed the visit at a critical time in Cypriot developments. He added that the Russian Federation stood by the Cyprus Republic and its people during the critical era after the 1974 Turkish invasion, as well as the 1960s when it was the Soviet Union, but also 2004 when attempts were made to impose an unfair solution to the Cyprus problem – the Annan Plan