Day: May 25, 2023

Moscow on Thursday linked the inclusion of its state-owned Russian Agricultural Bank in the SWIFT international payment system to the continuation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, indicating that it will consider alternative options for agricultural exports otherwise. 'For our part, we note that, since ammonia does not go through the Yuzhny port, there are other ports that are still working with our assistance to export Ukrainian grain. If Rosselkhozbank is not connected to SWIFT and there is no progress in meeting other 'systemic' problems blocking our agricultural exports, then the 'Black Sea Initiative' will also have to look for alternatives,' the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Telegram. The ministry recalled that Russia agreed to extend the grain deal for another two months, stating that Ukraine and the West began to demand the continuation of maritime traffic and the increase and expansion of Ukrainian exports "almost immediately." 'They habitually resorted, with the support of the UN, to hackneyed theses about food security, the fight against hunger, and assistance to countries in need,' the statement said, adding that the same political figures from the West 'continue to impose sanctions, including against Russian agricultural exports.' Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently announced that the deal, which was set to expire on May 18, was extended for two months. Trkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine initially signed the agreement in Istanbul last July to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports, which were halted after the Russia-Ukraine war began in February 2022. The deal has been extended three times since it was first signed initially for 120 days. It was first extended in November 2022 and then in March.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Directors General, editors and journalists of news agencies in the Mediterranean region gathered in Djerba, Tunisia, to discuss the role of media in promoting economic and social empowerment of women. The seminar - co-organised by Tunisia's news agency TAP, the Alliance of Mediterranean News Agencies (AMAN) and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung - on Wednesday, May 24, took place one day before the 31st General Assembly of AMAN, with the participation of 15 news agencies, including CNA, and concluded with the adoption of the Djerba Declaration. Tunisia's Minister of Family, Women, Children and the Elderly Amal Belhaj Moussa addressed the opening, on Wednesday, noting, among other things, that her Ministry's objective is to raise the percentage of women entrepreneurs in SMEs from 10% closer to 30%. She also spoke about the role of education in furthering women's empowerment, noting that women in her country represent 65% of PhD holders and 75% of researchers. CEO of the host News Agency, TAP, Najeh Missaoui, who assumes the AMAN presidency for a one-year term spanning 2023/2024, said the theme of the conference "testifies to the indispensable role of Mediterranean women in fostering sustainability and their unwavering determination to further augment their contribution to the economic landscape." Director General of the Croatian News Agency HINA and outgoing President of AMAN, Branka-Gabriela Vojvodic, highlighted the robust unity within AMAN. During the conference, experts and women's rights advocates stressed that the empowerment of women can only be achieved through defending women's rights and fighting against all forms of violence against women. On Thursday, members of AMAN adopted the Djerba Declaration, calling among others for enhanced cross-cultural exchanges, more Media training and for empowering women in journalism. AMAN members also voted unanimously in favour of accepting Slovenia's news agency STA as a member. AMAN Secretary-General George Penintaex and TAP's Najeh Missaoui awarded prizes to the winners of AMAN's internal completion, Ahmed Gaddeh from TAP for the Best News Item and Aytug Can Sencar of Anadolu Agency for the Best Photo. An honorary certificate was awarded to APS' photo entry. The next General Assembly will be held in Palermo, Italy.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Minister of Transport, Communication and Works, Alexis Vafeades, underlined the importance of sustainability, as well as health and safety, in the construction sector, on Thursday, during the 76th General Meeting of the European Council of Civil Engineers (ECCE), which is held between 24-27 of May in Hilton Park Nicosia. In his address, the Minister said he is happy that health and safety is a big issue for the Council and reassured ETEK (Scientific Technical Chamber of Cyprus) that the government stands by professionals who strive towards this direction. Vafeades spoke of the responsibility of those who venture in projects for creating a better living environment, to do so in a safe manner and make sure that they do not injure people or lose people in the process. 'We have all witnessed what happens when engineering fails,' he said, referring to the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, and added that 'we need to be even more aware of what goes wrong and how we lose people.' The Minister noted that 'engineering has always been about sustainability, respecting nature and working in harmony with nature', pointing out that there is 'added responsibility to pursue this further and make sure that engineers around the world are engaged in this effort.' Concluding, he reassured the Assembly that the government of Cyprus stands by ETEK (The Scientific Technical Chamber of Cyprus) and construction professionals, who are all working to take this society forward. At his welcome speech, on behalf of the President of the Cyprus Association of Civil Engineers (CYACE), Kyriakos Tsioupanis noted that, one of the most important priorities of the Association is the health and safety in the construction industry and noted that the ECCE General Meeting will be combined with the 8th International Conference of Construction Safety and Health, entitled 'Respect Human Rights - Everyone has a role to play'. He also congratulated the ECCE and WCCE for joining forces in a common initiative which aims to raise awareness on the need of 'safe, sound, sustainable' buildings. The President of the Scientific and Technical Chamber of Cyprus (ETEK), Constantinos Constanti, spoke of a series of critical points that require collective attention. Among those, he underlined the need to proceed with regulation of regular maintenance of buildings and infrastructures, aiming to improve energy efficiency and ensure seismic safety. Also, he noted that public procurement processes should be improved, by promoting and prioritising quality over price, something which will ensure the delivery of safe and durable infrastructure that meets the needs of citizens. Andreas Brandnen, President of the ECCE, spoke of the challenges of the profession, due to the hit at the supply chain during the pandemic, the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, as well as the earthquakes in South Turkey and Syria and developments in the EU with the Green Deal, noting that along with the challenges, there are also great opportunities. 'To this end, it is necessary to reflect on our training, our qualifications for the access to the profession and greater mobility for engineers,' he said. He also underlined the important initiative of a holistic approach to building safety and sustainability, expressing the conviction that it will now be successfully followed through and will have a worldwide dissemination, through the cooperation with WCCE. He concluded that 'politics must hear the voice of the engineers," adding that "after a disaster it is too late.'

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Spokesperson of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Maria Zakharova reaffirmed Tuesday Moscow's principled stance on the Cyprus problem, replying to a question about the country's position on the possibility of the resumption of peace talks, after the elections in Turkey. Zakharova noted that Russia is in favor of a settlement within the framework of international law, in accordance with the resolutions of the UN Security Council. She said that Russia thinks it is important for the people themselves to find the final solution, adding that there is no need to impose any timetables, ready-made recipes, or put any pressure on the people. According to MFA's Spokesperson, the most important thing is to take into account and assess the legitimate interests and concerns of the two communities on the island. Zakharova said that indeed her country cooperates with Turkey on a wide range of international and regional issues and they discuss many of them and the Cyprus issue 'is not an exception'. She also referred to the elections held in Greece noting that 'the once traditionally friendly Greek-Russian relations are currently in a deep crisis due to the well-known reasons'. Zakharova said that the reasons were not created 'because of our own will'. She went on to say that right now Moscow 'does not see signs of Athens' interest in restoring cooperation, which the Greek side on its own undermined". MFA Spokesperson also added that Russia respects the choice of the voters and is open to a dialogue with all political forces, which have a constructive stance. She also rebuked as 'pre-election political ploys' the allegations of possible "Russian involvement" in the elections. She said that a recent US prosecutor's report showed that all such allegations "were fabricated, they were lies". Zakharova said that Russia always declares and implement in practice the policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of sovereign states. "We can and know how to cooperate, provide help, support, develop contacts and Greece has witnessed this repeatedly', she noted. Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Germany continues to support a federal solution in Cyprus on the basis of UN decisions, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Thursday, noting that his country is ready to contribute to the efforts of the Cyprus issue and that all parties involved must have good will. The German Chancellor, who welcomed President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides in Berlin, on his first official visit to the country, said that Germany "continues to support a solution in which Cyprus will become a federal state, bizonal, where the two communities will be represented in the leadership of the state on the basis of UN decisions." "Therefore, I would like the impasse of the negotiation process to finally gain new momentum," he added. Speaking through an intepreter, the German Chancellor said that "that, however, requires political courage on the part of all involved, and I don't know whether the will is there by all sides." "We talked about it and we want to help. Germany is ready to contribute so that everyone gains more trust in each other and if this is desired we are happy to support this negotiation process." Referring to the Eastern Mediterranean, Scholz said that Germany would like good neighbourly relations, noting that the issues in the region can be resolved through dialogue and on the basis of international law. "After all, the relations between Cyprus and Turkey are important for the whole of Europe," he said. The German Chancellor said that it was very important to have a personal contact with President Christodoulides and that he was pleased to see the readiness of the Republic of Cyprus to restart the process adding that now he ha a clearer picture of the Cyprus issue which he will convey to the rest of his EU counterparts, in order to deepen the debate. He added that Germany is ready to take responsibilities if asked. He also said that they agreed to cooperate even more closely in the future on issues including energy supply and defence cooperation. In his statements, President Christodoulides said that they discussed bilateral relations, European issues and the Cyprus issue, noting that he reiterated his readiness to resume the talks from where they left off in Crans Montana in 2017. "The Cyprus problem is a European problem and its solution directly affects the EU as well," he stressed. Christodoulides also said that "Germany as one of the most important EU member states can contribute to this effort." He added that now is the time for diplomacy to work and that Germany's role is important. President Christodoulides noted that the discussion was very constructive and, among other things, thanked Germany for helping Cyprus deal with the immigration problem, saying that Germany is one of the few EU countries that understands the issue. He added that Germany accepted 230 persons from Cyprus while until June it will accept 860 more. CNA asked both the Cypriot President and the German Chancellor to comment on Turkey's provocations in the Eastern Mediterranean and what is expected from a new government in Turkey. President Christodoulides said that "we are indeed in a difficult region, with many problems, many challenges. But at the same time, we know that we cannot change the geography. But, we have - and that's why we're here - to submit proposals, recommendations, to take initiatives to solve all the problems that exist," adding that "and there are many". He said that he came to Germany because the country plays a decisive role both in the Greek-Turkish relations and as regards Cyprus saying that when there was a violation of the sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus in its Exclusive Economic Zone, Germany played a decisive role in ending these actions. "We are here with proposals, concrete initiatives, a positive approach to resolve these problems," he pointed out. Regarding the elections in Turkey, the President of the Republic said that "we certainly do not want an escalation, whatever the result and the election, it will be fully respected and what we want to convey is our readiness to work together, to cooperate on the basis of a positive approach and always within the international framework that must be fully respected." The German Chancellor replied that his country wishes to lay the foundations for good neighbourly relations adding "we will contribute so that we can have success and I hope that we can finally have some progress." "I would like to say once again that I am very happy for the very high importance that the President attributes to the solution of the Cyprus problem and how exactly we could approach the issue of good neighborhood on this and support our efforts," he said. In addition to the Cyprus issue, they also discussed bilateral relations, both expressing willingness to strengthen them, as well as immigration, energy, the Eastern Mediterranean, Ukraine and sanctions against Russia. The German Chancellor referring to the Ukrainian issue stressed that Cyprus and Germany are 'on the same side' while President Christodoulides said that the Republic of Cyprus rejects violations of international law and territorial integrity and fulfills all obligations regarding sanctions on Russia, while some other countries do not. Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Nicosia looks forward to holding the next political level 3+1 (Cyprus, Greece, Israel + USA) meeting before the end of the year, Defence Minister, Michalis Giorgallas, has said, adding that Cyprus also plans to host in 2023 the 9th Cyprus, Greece and Israel Trilateral Summit. Giorgallas was speaking during a reception hosted on Wednesday evening in Nicosia by the Embassy of Israel, on the occasion of the country's 75th independence anniversary. The Ambassador of Israel to Cyprus, Oren Anolik, stressed in his speech that there is a deep strategic alliance between his country and Cyprus. Speaking during the reception, attended, among others, by Ministers, foreign and Cypriot diplomats and other officials, the Defence Minister noted that 'Cypriots have vivid memories of the beginnings of Israel's 75-year journey, as Cyprus became a place of internment for 53,000 Shoah survivors on their way to their Homeland, after the end of the Second World War.' He said that after Cyprus gained its own independence, diplomatic relations were established immediately with Israel. 'Our historical connections, geographic proximity, and shared values have formed a deep bond between us,' Giorgallas added. He went on to say that 'especially in the last decade, our partnership has widened to embrace numerous sectors such as energy, defense, tourism, cybersecurity, business, and innovation.' 'Both our countries have invested significant political capital in cultivating our prolific ties and fostering a partnership of strategic choice,' the Minister said. He noted that 'the working visit of President Christodoulides to Israel two weeks ago, in one of his first trips abroad, and at a particularly trying time, is a tangible indication of the priority attached to our robust bilateral relations and our strong commitment to further advance our strategic cooperation.' Giorgallas said that 'this strategic essence was also reflected during the recent visit of Defense Minister (of Israel) Gallant whom I had the pleasure to host at the beginning of May, as part of the continuous engagement through our robust defense partnership, with our focus being none other than a secure, stable, and prosperous future for our region.' He stressed that 'our collaboration has impressively reached new heights in the regional context as well, something which is evident through our Trilateral platform with Greece.' The Defence Minister said that 'we have recently renewed our commitment to this format via hosting the Trilateral Meeting of Foreign Affairs in Nicosia, while President Christodoulides has extended an invite to Prime Minister Netanyahu to the 9th Trilateral Summit, which Nicosia plans to host later in 2023.' He went on to say that 'our trilateral has indeed set an example of regional collaboration and has evolved to project concrete benefits for our countries and peoples, through a range of domains, spearheaded through our energy cooperation and the prospects it creates.' The Minister noted that 'this is more critical considering the unprovoked Russian aggression in Ukraine and the need for energy diversification and increased interconnectivity, which brings into focus the development of a reliable energy corridor from the Eastern Mediterranean basin to Europe.' He added that 'the positive geopolitical impact of this format, as you all know, has led to the 3+1 framework with the US, and proceeds with cooperation on areas such as energy, emergency response, climate change, cyber security, as well as the parliamentary track, reflecting the diversity of our shared objectives and interests in the region.' 'We look forward to holding the next political level 3+1 meeting before the end of the year,' Giorgallas said. Moreover, he noted that they have identified 'the possibility of including other countries in our neighborhood in our cooperation, countries that share that peace, stability, and security is the most valuable strategic asset.' The Defence Minister also stressed that Cyprus stands ready to join Israel and other partners, in regional multilateralism platforms, "through which we can multiply the security and stability index of our wider neighborhood." On his part, Ambassador Oren Anolik referred to the recent visit which Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides paid to Israel, noting that the visit took place during days in which Israeli citizens were under attack. 'The support and solidarity expressed by the President in this visit were well received and appreciated by Israel's leadership and people,' Anolik said. He added that this visit was not merely a symbol of diplomatic ties, but a reaffirmation of the deep strategic alliance between the two countries. The Israeli Ambassador expressed heartfelt appreciation 'to all those whose contribution helped bringing us to the current level of friendship,' adding that he is filled with optimism 'for the future of our alliance.'

Source: Cyprus News Agency