Category: General

Government Spokesperson Konstantinos Letymbiotis said on Friday that a meeting between President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides and UNSG's personal envoy for Cyprus Maria Angela Holguin is scheduled to take place in the first ten days of May. CNA has learnt that the first meeting of the President of Cyprus with the UNSG's personal envoy will take place on May 8th. Asked after a meeting of the National Council if the proposal of the UN Secretary General is still on the table, the Spokesperson said that they are expecting Holguin "in the first ten days of May when a meeting with the President of the Republic is scheduled, to see what the next steps are in relation to this proposal of the UN General Secretary, which we are still waiting to see how it can be implemented." He added that the government has responded in a positive way from the first moment and considers that every action of the United Nations, especially the UN Secretary General, to help the effort to restart the negotiations is in the ri ght direction. According to sources, before her arrival in Cyprus, Holguin will have contacts in Berlin, Paris, Brussels and maybe in Ankara as well. In Brussels, she is expected to meet with High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell, European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms Elisa Ferreira, and Head of the DG for Structural Reform Support Mario Nava as well as with the Permanent Representatives of Cyprus, Greece and Turkey. In Germany she will have meetings with the President of the country and the diplomatic office of the Chancellor, in Paris with the diplomatic advisers of the French President, while it is not ruled out that she will also go to Ankara where she will have a meeting at the level of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Cyprus issue, Amaltheia initiative, Immigration ---------------------------- Referring to the National Council, the country's top advisory body, which met today for around three hours, the Spokesperson recalled that th is was the sixth time that the National Council is being convened by President Christodoulides. During the meeting, he added, the President of the Republic informed the members of the National Council about his contacts with the personal envoy of the UN Secretary-General and the UN Secretary-General himself in Brussels last month. He added that they exchanged views about the upcoming visit of the UNSG's personal envoy beginning of May. Moreover, he said that the President of the Republic analysed the Conclusions of the last European Council, in which a clear connection between the progress of the EU-Turkey relations and the progress in the Cyprus issue has been included. This, the Spokesperson added, is the result of the government's efforts over the past year and recalled that this was the strategy, which the President had the opportunity to present during the first meeting of the National Council last March, a year ago. He also expressed the view that what has been achieved sends a positive, very specif ic message to Turkey through a gradual, proportional and reversible approach which the Republic of Cyprus sought from the beginning. Letymbiotis also said that the members of the National Council expressed their positions and opinions, adding that they are taken into account by the President of the Republic and will be evaluated. "There was a very productive discussion in a very constructive atmosphere with a constructive approach from all members of the National Council," he added. He said that the President informed the members of the National Council about the Immigration issue and the measures taken by the government, as well as about the upcoming visit he will pay to Lebanon together with the President of the European Commission on May 2. The Spokesperson said that the President informed about the progress and the next steps, in the context of the initiative of the Republic of Cyprus "Amaltheia" for the creation of a maritime corridor to provide humanitarian aid to the civilian population of Gaza and how the infrastructure that the US is building in Gaza will allow the flow of humanitarian aid to the civilian population of Gaza to increase and intensify. Source: Cyprus News Agency

Turkey has received a clear message from Europe, that its substantive involvement in the Cyprus issue, on the agreed basis, will act as a catalyst for developments in the EU-Turkish affairs, President of the Republic, Nikos Christodoulides, said on Friday. The President was speaking at a memorial service on the occasion of the 39th Marathon of Love for the Missing Persons, at the Makedonitissa Tomb, in Nicosia, which is organised by the Pancyprian Organisation of the Relatives of Undeclared Prisoners and Missing Persons. President Christodoulides said that the substantive interconnection of Turkey's European course with the developments in the Cyprus problem, based on the recent European Council Conclusions is an important development. "It was something that the government had sought from the beginning," he said, noting that in the EC Conclusions "Turkey received a clear message from Europe, that its substantial involvement in the Cyprus issue, always on the agreed basis, will act as a catalyst for develo pments in EU-Turkey affairs". President Christodoulides talked about the efforts to solve the humanitarian issue of the missing persons, underlining that "it is primarily a humanitarian issue and we approach it only as such". He referred to the meeting that was held following the initiative of the government with the Turkish Cypriot leader exclusively on the issue of the missing persons, and expressed the hope that there will be a follow-up. He spoke about the difference in the way of receiving information about the fate of the missing, noting that the goal is to encourage as much information as possible, by creating a more friendly and trusting environment for witnesses. "The results were positive, since in a short period of time we had several new identifications," he said, adding that among them was the identification of the remains of six Greek soldiers of ELDYK force. "This year, more than ever, we must be united and stress towards every direction that the passage of 50 years does not alter in any w ay the effects of the barbaric Turkish invasion: Turkey's violation of fundamental human rights and its intransigence to resume of the dialogue with the sole aim of resolving the Cyprus issue, based on the agreed framework", President Christodoulides underlined. We must continue our struggle, he said, in a more coordinated, persistent and targeted manner, for the reunification of Cyprus, for reaching a viable and functional solution, "for a Cyprus free from occupying troops and anachronistic guarantees, for a solution based on the resolutions of the United Nations Security Council and the principles and values of the European Union". He noted that while after persistent efforts more information is coming to light about the missing persons, there still remains a long list of unsolved cases. The President assured that the efforts to ascertain the fate of each of the missing will not cease. He said that the Greek Cypriot side has the political will and is continuing its efforts. The President noted that now "it is up to the Turkish side - and we are working in this direction through the international community - to change its attitude and cooperate" in order to give an end to this humanitarian issue, and end the suffering of the relatives of the missing persons. Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory. Since then, the fate of hundreds of people remains unknown. A Committee on Missing Persons has been established, upon agreement between the leaders of the two communities, with the scope of exhuming, identifying and returning to their relatives the remains of 492 Turkish Cypriots and 1,510 Greek Cypriots, who went missing during the inter-communal fighting of 1963-1964 and in 1974. According to statistical data published on the CMP website by August 1, 2022 out of 2002 missing persons 1,185 were exhumed and 1,027 were identified. Out of 1510 Greek Cypriot missing persons 735 were identified and 775 are still missing. Out of 492 Turkish Cypriot missing pe rsons 292 were identified and 200 are still missing. Source: Cyprus News Agency

Total deposits and loans in the Cyprus banking system continued their annual gains in March with the liquidity in the system exceeding pound 27 billion, data released by the Central Bank (CBC) of Cyprus on Friday show. According to the CBC, total deposits in March 2024 recorded a net increase (transactions, excluding changes resulting from reclassifications, exchange rate and other adjustments) of pound 252.1 million, compared with a net increase of pound 63.2 million in February 2024. The annual growth rate of total deposits stood at 0.6%, compared with 0.3% in February 2024, with the outstanding balance of total deposits reaching pound 52.2 billion in March 2024, the CBC said. Deposits of Cyprus residents exhibited an increase of pound 318.5 million, fueled by deposits of households and non-financial corporations which rose by pound 70.3 million and pound 158.8 million respectively. Deposits of the remaining domestic sectors also exhibited increase, which stood at pound 89.3 million. According to the C BC data, total loans in March 2024 recorded a net increase of pound 133.1 million, compared with a net increase of pound 348.9 million in February 2024. The annual growth rate of total loans stood at 1.8%, compared with 1.5% in February 2024, with the outstanding balance amounting to pound 25.1 billion, the CBC added. Loans to Cyprus residents were up by pound 134 million. Loans to households decreased by pound 1.0 million, while loans to non-financial corporations recorded an increase of pound 138.1 million. Furthermore, loans to the remaining domestic sectors exhibited a total decrease of pound 3.1 million, the CBC added. Source: Cyprus News Agency

The EU's employment rate exceeded 75% in 2023, while the rate in Cyprus stood at 78.9% during the same year, according to data released by Eurostat, the statistical service of the European Union. Cyprus was also the country with the third largest share of overqualified workers, that is people with tertiary education employed in occupations that do not require such a high level of education. On the EU level, about 195.7 million people worked in 2003, a number which corresponds to 75.3% of people from 20 to 64-year-old, the highest share recorded since the start of the time series in 2009. This marks three consecutive years of growth after a drop to 72% in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic (from 72.6% in 2019). The 78.9% rate recorded in Cyprus was also the highest recorded since 2009, also marking a continuous increasing annual trend since 2020, when the rate had fallen to 74.9% (from 75.7% in 2019). Among EU countries, the highest employment rates in 2023 were recorded in the Netherlands (84%), Sweden (8 3%) and Estonia (82%). The lowest rates were recorded in Italy (66%), Greece (67%) and Romania (69%). Regarding the over-qualification rate, this stood at 22% across the EU in 2023, with 21% for men and 23% for women. Among EU countries, the over-qualification rate was highest in Spain (36%), followed by Greece (31%) and Cyprus (30%). Meanwhile, Luxembourg (5%), Denmark and Czechia (each 13%) recorded the lowest rates. In 18 of the 27 EU countries, women had higher over-qualification rates than men, with the largest differences recorded in Malta and Slovakia (both +8 percentage points, pp) and Italy (+7 pp). Cyprus was one of the countries where women had higher over-qualification rates, with the difference reaching 6 pp (27% for men, 33% for women). In nine EU countries, men had higher over-qualification rates, with the biggest differences recorded in Lithuania (+5 pp), Latvia (+4 pp) and Bulgaria (+3 pp). Source: Cyprus News Agency

The Cyprus Shipping Chamber (CSE) welcomed the adoption of the Net-Zero Industry Act by the European Parliament. The act, the CSE said in a press release includes clean fuels for shipping, including advanced bio-fuels and e-fuels, in the list of net-zero technologies and introduces a benchmark for the Commission and the EU Member States to match 40% of the deployment needs for clean fuels for shipping with production capacity. 'This is a vital step to ensure that clean fuels for shipping are made available in the market at an affordable price, as a prerequisite for shipping to meet its target under the Fuel EU Maritime Regulation', the Chamber said. Concluding, the CSE said the scaling up of production and uptake of clean fuels for shipping is a top priority for the shipping industry on the path to net zero GHG emissions by 2050. Source: Cyprus News Agency

The Cypriot sailor Marilena Makri secured the Olympic Qualification Card for the "Paris 2024" Olympic Games in ILCA6 category in Sailing. According to the Cyprus Olympic Committee, in the "Last Chance Regatta" races, organized in Hyeres, France, Makri finished in 2nd place in the ranking of the fleet competing for the Olympic qualification cards. As a result, the Cypriot Olympic team comprises so far five members, Pavlos Kontidis (ILCA7/Sailing), Denis Tarantin (Kite/Sailing), Andri Christoforou (Road Cycling / Cycling), Marios Georgiou (Gymnastics) and Marilena Makri. Source: Cyprus News Agency

Two members of the Cyprus Academy of Sciences, Letters and Arts, Professors Leontios Kostrikis and Soteris Kalogirou, have recently become members of the European Academy (Academia Europaea). A press release of the Cyprus Academy says that the election to the Academy of Europe requires a nomination by two members of the Academy, a strict assessment of the scientific work of each candidate and validation by the relevant bodies of the Academy and confirms the international recognition of Professors Kostrikis and Kalogirou by the scientific community and the significant impact of their research. Leontios Kostrikis joined the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Class, while Soteris Kalogirou joined the Physics and Engineering Sciences Class. Source: Cyprus News Agency

Finance Minister Makis Keravnos on Friday met with Lefteris Christoforou, the Cypriot member of the EU Council of Auditors, who visited Cyprus for a series of meetings with Cypriot officials. A press release issued by his office, said Christoforou presented to the Cypriot Minister the Council's recent findings in sectors such as public contacts. They also exchanged views on projects co-financed by EU Funds and the challenges concerning the absorption of funds earmarked for period of 2021 - 2027 by all member-states, especially the funds associated with Cohesion Policy. The also discussed the reform of the EU fiscal governance rules. A press release issued by the Finance Ministry said that Keravnos and Christoforou also discussed the performance and prospects of the Cypriot economy and the implementation of EU co-financed projects. Kervanos outlined to Christoforou the government's planning aiming at the full absorption of EU funds earmarked for Cyprus both in the EU Recovery and Resilience Fund as well a s in the EU Cohesion Policy. In the context of his contacts, Christoforou also met yesterday with Minister of Labour and Social Insurance Yiannis Panayiotou, Deputy Minister for Tourism Costas Koumis, as well Taxation Commissioner Sotiris Markides. Source: Cyprus News Agency

Among the thirteen candidates for London Mayor at the local election of 2nd May features the name of British-Cypriot Andreas Michli. The 39-year-old, a north London-born gym owner of Cypriot descent, with roots from the Cypriot village of Akaki, is one of the independent candidates aiming to beat the better known names, such as the incumbent Mayor Sadiq Khan, supported by the Labour Party and the Conservatives' Susan Hall. And he thinks he is the man to upset the odds: 'Most definitely I feel that out of all the candidates I represent London the most. The response I am getting is amazing. Everybody is so disaffected and upset with politicians in general and the two main party system… they want something new, there is an appetite for something different and now people more and more see me as this difference', Michli told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) from his campaign tour bus, en route to one of the few corners of the British capital he has yet to visit in order to speak to the voters. His pitch is clear: his decision to seek the mayorship though stemmed from a more complex situation. 'It happened through a mixture of things,' he explained. 'I just don't like the way our country and mainly our city of London is run. I went though a long battle against central government, local government, the Metropolitan Police, all through COVID-19. During the lockdowns the government ordered a lot of businesses to close and my business, my gym, fell within that. I decided not to close it, so I stood up against the government and eventually I was prosecuted by the local council, the Metropolitan Police. I fought them in court and I won. Then I went on to organise a lot of demonstrations in London against lockdowns and then I eventually made the decision to run for Mayor of London.' His campaign motto is 'Make London Strong' and, as he said, his main priority is to have better policing and specifically deal with knife crime. 'I'm the only candidate that's formed a plan to end knife crime in London. Most of the other candida tes are just ignoring the issue completely,' he claimed. His "Operation Brennan" includes forming a special police platoon to fight knife crime and referendums in each borough on police stop and search powers. Michli also said that his programme gives special focus on improving public health, an issue close to his heart as a man of exercise and gym owner. 'Health is a big part of my life. I want to take a more preventative approach,' he noted. Among other things he proposes subsidised gym memberships and nutrition plans for everyone by the Mayor's office. Lastly, he stressed his intention to abolish charges for London drivers, such as ULEZ and the congestion charge. His programme also includes an updated housing strategy for London, with emphasis on high density residential development and aesthetics, as well as abolishing net zero targets, while creating more green spaces around London. Although he feels his campaign has touched Londoners, he noted that one 'hurdle' he has been facing is the 'propaganda machine' of the big parties and his exclusion from mainstream British media. Asked if he nurtured further political aspirations, Andreas Michli said: 'I never really wanted to get into politics in the first place. I was just a regular, ordinary guy, you know, a family man, business man. The whole reason I got into this is because I believe we need less of the politicians in politics, we need ordinary people. I like to call it 'the rise of the independents'. Whatever happens after this, I just hope other people do the same. Get independents running in politics.' His wish also extends to UK Cypriots, especially the younger generations: 'I definitely think this is going to be inspiring to the younger UK Cypriots, for sure, so they get involved in British politics.' The independent candidate was named after his grandfather, Andreas Christofi Michli, who went to London from his little Cypriot village in the 1950s. He started working as a chef and eventually moved to Haringey, the heart of the UK Cypriot communi ty, where for years he ran one of the most popular grocery stores with fresh produce from his island. In closing, Andreas Michli the grandson sent a message through the CNA to the UK Cypriot voters in London: 'My family has served the Cypriot community for generations. My pappou (grandfather) spent his whole life serving the community and this is something I truly feel I can do for London as a whole, and obviously the Cypriot community too.' Source: Cyprus News Agency