Day: February 25, 2024

ANKARA: Venezuela has an 'extremely important place' in Trkiye's policies regarding the region, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said Saturday. "There are many issues on which we have a common stance with Venezuela, especially on regional issues and international issues. The most important of these is the Palestine issue,' Fidan said at a news conference with his Venezuelan counterpart, Yvan Gil, in the capital of Caracas. Fidan thanked Venezuela for its stance against the 'ongoing injustice, oppression, lawlessness, double standards, and rottenness of the international system,' especially in Palestine. "As the number of countries in this position increases, the pressure that will really arise will be greater and hopefully we will be able to prevent this oppression together,' he added. Fidan continued his Latin American tour in Venezuela, where he was received by President Nicolas Maduro. "We had the opportunity to confirm the mutual will to advance the strategic relationship between the two countrie s in every field," he said. Noting that Trkiye and Venezuela have maintained a 'very productive and improving relationship' at all levels, he said there is great potential in the economy, trade, mining, energy, agriculture and tourism. "We frankly expect our trade volume between the two countries, which was around $800 million as of last year, to reach the $3 billion target set by our leaders this year,' he said. Fidan added that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is planning to visit Venezuela this year. Source: Anadolu Agency

Artemis Credit Bureau, a subsidiary of the Association of Cyprus Banks, announced it will launch an interbank project for the corporate certification on ESG (Environmental - Social - Governance) criteria. Yiannis Tomasides, Artemis' General Manager, said in an interview with CNA that the Credit Bureau, which provides banks and credit acquiring companies with information on their borrowers' credit score, is responding to the needs of both banks and companies and in collaboration with the Association of Cyprus Banks and the international Credit Bureau, CRIF S.p.A, has proceeded with the implementation of a solution concerning certification with ESG criteria. He added that corporate ESG certification will be implemented within this year for bank's corporate clients thereby setting the groundwork for an ESG ecosystem in Cyprus. "Corporate certification based on ESG criteria and the adoption of an ESG strategy is now a one-way street for businesses,' Tomasides said, adding that 'there is value for companies, ir respective of their size, sector and activity, to chart a roadmap and align their actions towards this direction for their own sake.' As a first stage, the banks will notify their corporate clients in Cyprus which will opt to be evaluated on ESG criteria, whereas the evaluation will be carried out by a specific questionnaire with qualitative and quantitative characteristic to be uploaded in the 'Synesgy' platform. Artemis will notify the companies' bank on their ESG scoring. According to Tomasides, Synesgy, is a global alliance of companies that enhances transition to sustainability with data and information collected via an innovative digital platform, which provides every company with its own evaluation on the three sustainability pillars, ie Environment, Social, and Corporate Governance. Moreover, he added, the platform supports the banking sector providing a 'sustainable financing' tool, supporting the banks' credit risk management based on regulatory requirements. On his part, Dimitris Bourpoulas, P roject Manager at Artemis told CNA that the Synesgy platform is available in 76 countries and 27 languages across 4 continents, adding that so far, a total of 620,000 invitations have been sent to companies globally. The platform, he said, fulfills all conditions according to international and European directives on ESG criteria and will contribute to a correct evaluation of companies and their continuous development towards a sustainable future. Each ESG certification will be valid for 12 months, Bourpoulas said, whereas a company could implement actions to further improve its ESG score by the next evaluation a year later. "We are setting the groundwork for what will come in the future,' he said, noting at this stage is important to create a corporate culture whereby incorporating ESG criteria in their practices and strategy primarily for their own benefit. Concluding Bourpoulas said the current period is a transitional stage on ESG criteria which will gradually become obligatory. 'Therefore, this is a g reat opportunity for companies to invest in new knowhow and management systems for non-financial data for the correct incorporation of ESG criteria,' he concluded. Source: Cyprus News Agency

ANKARA: Saudi Arabia announced a major gas discovery on Sunday at the state oil company Aramco's Jufurah field. Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said an additional 15 trillion standard cubic feet of natural gas and 2 billion barrels of condensate were found in the onshore field. 'This achievement was the result of applying the highest international standards in estimating and developing hydrocarbon resources to ensure their proper exploitation,' he added in a statement. Reserves at Jufurah have reached 229 trillion cubic feet of gas and 75 billion barrels of condensates, Prince Abdulaziz said. The Jufurah unconventional field lies south-east of the Ghawar oilfield in the kingdom's Eastern Province. Unconventional resources refer to those that require advanced extraction methods. The field covers an area of 17,000 square kilometers. The production of natural gas at Jufurah is expected to increase to 2 billion standard cubic feet per day (scfd) of shale gas by 2030, from 200 million scfd in 2025 , with 418 million scfd of ethane and around 630,000 barrels per day of gas liquids and condensates. Source: Anadolu Agency

ISTANBUL: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday said Trkiye's defense industry is making history, with Turkish UAVs and drones safeguarding the skies of 34 nations. "We will build a higher segment of our aircraft carrier. Our navy is leading the effort," Erdogan said at a rally in Trkiye's southern province of Adana. He stressed that Trkiye's increased international reputation in foreign policy is backed by a "strong defense industry." "As our dependence on foreign defense decreases, our influence on the international stage grows," he added. Blasting those who are criticizing KAAN, Erdogan said: "From Asia to Africa, tens of millions see a strengthened Trkiye." KAAN, a fighter jet made in Trkiye, successfully carried out its maiden test flight on Wednesday, Turkish Aerospace Industries said. The first fifth-generation fighter jet manufactured domestically aims to replace the Turkish army's aging fleet. The latest development makes Trkiye one of only a few countries to own this technology. T he aircraft, under a project that began in 2016, was rolled out in March 2023.??????? Source: Anadolu Agency

ISTANBUL: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday said Trkiye's defense industry is making history, with Turkish UAVs and drones safeguarding the skies of 34 nations. "We will build a higher segment of our aircraft carrier. Our navy is leading the effort," Erdogan said at a rally in Trkiye's southern province of Adana. He stressed that Trkiye's increased international reputation in foreign policy is backed by a "strong defense industry." "As our dependence on foreign defense decreases, our influence on the international stage grows," he added. Blasting those who are criticizing KAAN, Erdogan said: "From Asia to Africa, tens of millions see a strengthened Trkiye." KAAN, a fighter jet made in Trkiye, successfully carried out its maiden test flight on Wednesday, Turkish Aerospace Industries said. The first fifth-generation fighter jet manufactured domestically aims to replace the Turkish army's aging fleet. The latest development makes Trkiye one of only a few countries to own this technology. T he aircraft, under a project that began in 2016, was rolled out in March 2023.??????? Source: Anadolu Agency

Minister of Justice and Public Order, Marios Hartsiotis is travelling to Brussels on Sunday, to participate in the informal meeting of EU ministers of gender equality, to take place 26-27 February. A press release says that on Monday a meeting will be held between the members of the current EU Council Presidency trio (Spain, Belgium, Hungary) and the future Presidency trio (Poland, Denmark and Cyprus). The ministers will exchange views and discuss the priorities of future presidencies in issues related to gender equality. On Tuesday participants will discuss the progress made in recent years in gender equality matters, best practices and suggestions for greater progress. The Minister returns home on Tuesday. Source: Cyprus News Agency

Minister of Justice and Public Order, Marios Hartsiotis is travelling to Brussels on Sunday, to participate in the informal meeting of EU ministers of gender equality, to take place 26-27 February. A press release says that on Monday a meeting will be held between the members of the current EU Council Presidency trio (Spain, Belgium, Hungary) and the future Presidency trio (Poland, Denmark and Cyprus). The ministers will exchange views and discuss the priorities of future presidencies in issues related to gender equality. On Tuesday participants will discuss the progress made in recent years in gender equality matters, best practices and suggestions for greater progress. The Minister returns home on Tuesday. Source: Cyprus News Agency

ISTANBUL: Ukrainian Strategic Industries Minister Oleksandr Kamyshin said on Sunday that his country sees a potential for a six-fold expansion of its defense sector this year. 'Last year, our defense industry delivered three times more products than in 2022. The capacity for 2024 is six times higher than last year,' Kamyshin said during a forum titled Ukraine: Year 2024 held in the country's capital Kyiv. Expressing that about half of these capabilities are already contracted for this year, Kamyshin said they are working on further contracting together with the country's Defense Ministry and its Defense Forces. Kamyshin further said that more than 500 enterprises currently operate in Ukraine's defense sector, where Ukrainian manufacturers significantly increased the output of artillery ammunition by the end of last year and are now specializing in new products in the sector. "It is worth noting that no matter how much we increase this type of production in Ukraine, the need of our forces for artillery is greater than our capabilities and those of the US and the EU combined," Kamyshin went on to say. He also said Ukraine launched the production of long-range weapons, adding that some of these capabilities would soon be delivered to the country's front line. The forum is also attended by top Ukrainian officials, including Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, Economic Development and Trade Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, and Ruslan Stefanchuk, the head of the Ukrainian parliament. Source: Anadolu Agency

There is an increase in the population of the Mediterranean monk seal in Cyprus and 2023 figures show that there are 20-22 mammals on the island, Minister of Agriculture Maria Panayiotou said on Saturday, addressing a conference in Pegeia, Paphos district, titled "Mediterranean Seal. An emblematic species of the Mediterranean - Past, Present and Future." The event was organized by the Municipality of Pegeia, in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and the support of the Department of Fisheries and Marine Research and MOm NGO based in Greece. She pledged that the Ministry supports all efforts aimed at informing the public and raising awareness. Panayiotou pointed out that the Mediterranean seal is considered the number one endangered marine mammal in Europe. Its population in the Mediterranean is around 700, of which half live in the maritime area of Greece, while in Cyprus it is estimated that there are currently around 20-22 mammals. She noted that the population increased due to species monito ring programs and record of observations. One important finding, she said, was the verification of reproductive activity of the Mediterranean seal on the island, with the first discovery of a newborn seal in one of the island's sea caves, in November 2011. The Minister said that unfortunately the Mediterranean seal in Cyprus is faced with various threats for its survival because of the loss and degradation of its habitats, the urbanization of the neighboring areas, overfishing and tourism pressures through various activities. She praised the work done by scientists in Greece and the role of local communities. Scientists presented the latest scientific developments and figures in relation to the marine mammal protection program. Pegeia mayor Marinos Lambrou referred to the goal of protecting and properly preserving biodiversity on the island. Source: Cyprus News Agency