Day: February 23, 2024

ANKARA: Malaysia told a hearing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Thursday that Palestine has the right to self-determination and that this right has been violated due to the Israeli occupation. The hearings, where the legal consequences of Israel's actions in the occupied Palestinian territories are being discussed, are taking place at the Peace Palace in The Hague, the administrative capital of the Netherlands. Speaking on behalf of Malaysia, Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan highlighted that the occupation is illegal due to its violation of international law and emphasized the need for an immediate end to the occupation. Hasan said it is essential for the ICJ to express its views on the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, as this opinion would assist in delivering a fair judgment on the occupation, annexation and discriminatory policies in Palestine. Emphasizing the violation of international law, occupation law and laws regulating annexation and the use of force through th e establishment of illegal settlements in the occupied territories, Hasan pointed out that all these actions further violate the Palestinian people's right to self-determination. He also noted that the blockade imposed by Israel on Gaza deprives the local population of basic necessities and called for continued support for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, or UNRWA, which is facing challenges due to some countries discontinuing financial support based on Israeli claims that 12 of UNRWA's 13,000 employees in the Gaza Strip took part in the Hamas-led assault on Israel last year. Speaking about 'the unquestionable validity of the right to self-determination for the Palestinian people,' Hasan said that in addition to ending the occupation, Israel should compensate Palestine for the violations and damages it has caused. Jagdish D. Koonjul, the Permanent Representative of Mauritius to the UN, speaking on behalf of Mauritius also highlighted the need to end Israel's illegal occupation and provide the Palest inian people with the right to self-determination. Referring to the role of the ICJ in the decolonization of the Chagos Archipelago, Koonjul highlighted the importance of a consultative opinion to initiate a similar negotiation process between Israel and Palestine. Supporting the two-state solution, Koonjul said: 'Indeed, this is the only solution that can bring about lasting peace. We believe that Palestinians should live in freedom within their own state. Additionally, we believe that Palestine possesses all the necessary qualifications to be recognized as a state.' Pierre Klein, a professor of international law at the Free University of Brussels, drew attention to the longstanding Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, emphasizing that the occupation, which has turned into an 'annexation,' is illegal. Source: Anadolu Agency

Deputy Minister for Tourism Kostas Koumis said that if we want to achieve better results and a resilient tourism industry, we need the right policies and an alignment of all stakeholders. In his address at the 45th Cyprus Hotel Summit and Exhibition, organized by the Cyprus Hotels Association in Limassol, the Deputy Minister announced that Cyprus will host, next October, a regional European conference of the World Tourism Organization, dedicated to gastronomy, which - as he said - is important for the promotion of our country as a successful tourist destination. He noted that until now Cyprus has not managed to adequately promote its gastronomy at an international level, adding that the Deputy Ministry is proceeding with plans to celebrate 800 years of international recognition of the Commandaria wine and the contribution of culinary Cypriot products. Announcing the organisation of the regional conference on gastronomy he noted that this is "an achievement and at the same time, a huge opportunity for ou r gastronomy in the whole tourism sector". In addition, he said that market trends favor wellness, sports, adventure experiences, agrotourism, the combination of extended business trips with leisure (bleisure), religious/cultural tourism, as well as destinations for seniors and people with disabilities. Referring to the existing incentive plans and the actions of the Deputy Ministry, Koumis announced that, in the coming days, a new incentive plan for the remote areas will be announced to strengthen agrotourism, saying that this is a strategic priority for the government. In his presentation, the Deputy Minister for Tourism referred to the green and digital transition, calling it "a great twin challenge, affecting people's perceptions and preferences and of course the destinations themselves". Koumis said that every policy and every incentive program is currently connected to these two pillars, underlining that "we all need to work collectively in these two directions" adding that the Deputy Ministry also i nvests a lot in awareness. For a tourism industry to be successful, he pointed out, policies are needed to encourage the sector to respond to market trends and policies that enhance the quality of the product. "The quality of the experience will be remembered much longer than its cost" he continued adding that to this end, the Deputy Ministry is investing in the improvement of the infrastructure offered. The Deputy Minister for Tourism noted that the Cyprus destination is affected by the decisions and actions of many different stakeholders, adding "if we want to achieve better results, we have to align." It is important to set common priorities and common goals, as partners and members of the Cyprus Tourism Ecosystem, he continued.. "Once we achieve this, we will also achieve a more resilient tourism sector", he concluded. Source: Cyprus News Agency

ISTANBUL: Ukraine has seen major shifts in its energy sector and outlook since the start of the war with Russia, which is now entering its third year. On Feb. 24, 2022, Russia launched what it said was a 'special military operation', sparking a conflict that has claimed the lives of nearly 10,600 civilians and injured almost 20,000, according to the latest UN figures published this week. The war has inflicted significant damage to both Ukrainian and Russian infrastructure. In the case of Ukraine, energy infrastructure has been one of the primary targets of Russian airstrikes, particularly in the winter months, when temperatures in the region drop below freezing. That has prompted a shift in strategies in Ukraine's energy sector, primarily two major changes, first in terms of policy and second in how to manage the impact of Russian attacks, according to Andrian Prokip, a senior associate at the Wilson Center's Kennan Institute. Half of the fuel consumed in Ukraine before the start of the war came from Rus sia and Belarus, all of which was then cut off, while Moscow began targeting Ukrainian fuel depots with the specific intent of creating a fuel crisis, Prokip told Anadolu. There were shortages and a brewing crisis, but Ukrainian companies managed to establish new fuel supplies from European countries, he said. Ukraine's disconnection from the unified power system with Russia and Belarus pushed the country's integration with the European grid, which helped in 'surviving' the winter of 2022, said Prokip, who is also the director of the energy program at the Ukrainian Institute for the Future. He said another significant dent in the country's energy capacity was caused by Russia's annexation of Ukrainian regions, its control over the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, as well as the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in June 2023. Despite the challenges, he said, Ukraine's energy capacity as a whole was just enough to cover demand when entering the winter of 2023, and last week they marked the first year without any planned cutoffs. On the future of Russian natural gas transits through Ukraine, Prokip said Kyiv will not sign any new direct agreement with Russian gas giant Gazprom after their current five-year deal ends this year. 'If some European companies want to have Russian gas imported, then they have to sign two agreements, one with Gazprom to supply the gas and another agreement with the Ukrainian gas transmission system operator to deliver this gas to European countries,' he explained. Volodymyr Omelchenko, the director of the energy program at Ukrainian think tank Razumkov Center, told Anadolu that the Kyiv government could consider that option. 'However, it is difficult to say what the solution will be now since this problem relates to the issue of national security,' he said. 'If there is no transit contract, the Ukrainian operator will focus on domestic gas transport and the provision of transport services for export-import deliveries of gas with EU countries, including using underground gas storage facilities.' Impact of war on nuclear, green energy Aside from petroleum, nuclear power remains a crucial part of Ukraine's energy sector, particularly through the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, the largest in Europe, which has been under Russian control since the early stages of the war. Both Prokip and Omelchenko underlined that nuclear energy continued to cover over half of Ukraine's energy demand despite the loss of Zaporizhzhia. Some 55% of all electricity production in Ukraine is still from units at nuclear power plants in Khmelnytskyi, Mykolaiv and Rivne, according to Omelchenko. The two experts explained that Ukraine has also been able to compensate for Zaporizhzhia's lack of generation by reducing overall energy consumption by 30%. Prokip said Ukraine, which has banned all energy supplies from Russia, including nuclear fuel supply, has been able to cover all its demand for nuclear fuel through the US-based Westinghouse Electric Company. While Russia was Ukraine's sole supplier prior to 2014 , Kyiv had already been making 'preparations to diversify for nuclear fuel supply,' he said. When the war started two years ago, Ukraine had 'enough nuclear fuel stored for nuclear power plants to operate for one-and-a-half years, and Westinghouse agreed to supply much more nuclear fuel to Ukrainian power plants,' he said. Before the war, Ukraine was also dependent on Russia for storing used nuclear fuel, but its national nuclear energy provider Energoatom and Holtec International have now made a new facility for that purpose, he added. Regarding the war's impact on green energy in Ukraine, both experts said the conflict has spurred some development of renewables in the country. Prokip and Omelchenko acknowledged that this particular area has been affected negatively due to the loss of wind, solar and thermal capacities, but stressed that steps are being taken to develop them, with both highlighting the commissioning of the Tyligulska Wind Power Plant as an example. Future of Ukraine's energy sector Reg arding the future of Ukraine's energy sector, particularly for the foreseeable future, Prokip said there are two major problems, one of them being the continued attacks on its energy infrastructure. He emphasized that Russia will continue attempts to find vulnerabilities and damage Ukraine's energy infrastructure. 'That's why we have to build new capacities less vulnerable to attacks and we need to strengthen our air defenses systems in order to protect the energy, the economy and the country in general,' he added. Another problem for the future is the overregulation of energy by the state, which he argued is affecting efforts by energy companies to create new capacities. For his part, Omelchenko said Russian attacks will remain the main factor affecting the Ukrainian energy sector, adding that he expects the integration with Europe to deepen and the correction of the 'shortcomings of the current model in the electricity and gas markets.' Source: Anadolu Agency

The Cyprus Composite Leading Economic Index (CCLEI), an essential metric constructed and tracked by the Economics Research Centre (CypERC) of the University of Cyprus, has shown a noticeable deceleration in its year-over-year growth rate for January 2024. According to recent data released by CypERC, the CCLEI recorded a modest year-over-year increase of 0.9% in January 2024, marking a notable decline from the preceding months' growth rates of 1.7% in December 2023 and 2.1% in November 2023, as per revised figures. The performance of the CCLEI in January 2024 is attributed to the escalating international geopolitical tensions, particularly the unfolding military conflicts in the Middle East and the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war. Additionally, a general slowdown in economic activity across the Eurozone has a negative impact over Cyprus' economic indicators. In more detail, the Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) in the euro area recorded a negative year-over-year growth rate also in January 2024, while a sig nificant slowdown is observed in the year-over-year growth rate of the ESI in Cyprus as well. In addition, the negative year-over-year growth rate recorded by the total property sales contracts and tourist arrivals contribute to the slowdown in the year-over-year growth rate of the CCLEI in January. In contrast, the positive year-over-year growth rate of the CCLEI in January can be attributed to the slight decline in the international Brent Crude oil price and the growth of various domestic sectors, including retail trade and electricity production. Source: Cyprus News Agency