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Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 08-09-15
CONTENTS
[01] ECHR PRESIDENT - MEETINGS
[02] COMMISION - NEGOTIATIONS
[03] FINANCE MINISTER - ECONOMY
[04] COT - XL
[01] ECHR PRESIDENT - MEETINGS
President of the Republic Demetris Christofias has accepted an
invitation by President of the European Court of Human Rights Jean Paul
Costa to visit the headquarters of the Court in Strasbourg during his
forthcoming visit for the plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly
of the Council of Europe. Costa, who was received by President
Christofias in Nicosia, said afterwards that ``the general climate of
this meeting was very good.``
House President Marios Garoyian and Jean Paul Costa exchanged at
afternoon views about the mission and smooth functioning of the ECHR.
According to an official press release, Garoyian and Costa also
discussed during the meeting they had in Nicosia, ways of speeding up
the hearings of the large number of cases pending before the ECHR.
[02] COMMISION - NEGOTIATIONS
The decision of the leaders of the two communities in Cyprus to enter
full-fledged negotiations for a Cyprus settlement will create a
positive framework for facilitating the implementation and the success
of the EU aid programme for the Turkish Cypriot community, a European
Commission report says. In the Second Annual Report 2007 on the
implementation of Community assistance under Council Regulation (EC) No
389/2006 of 27 February 2006 establishing an instrument of financial
support for encouraging the economic development of the Turkish Cypriot
community, covering the period from 1 March until 31 December 2007, the
Commission says that, out of the overall allocation of 259 million
euros, 240.15 million euros was allocated to the operational part of
the aid programme.
The report`s conclusions regarding reaching a cruising speed in
implementation note that ``preparatory measures in terms of preparing
tender documents, as well as calls for proposal for grant schemes and
works and service contracts were launched.`` Furthermore, it notes on
consolidating the implementation mechanisms by recruiting additional
staff and putting in place the required implementation procedures that
``due to the programme`s specific nature and the context in which the
Commission is operating, this has entailed tailor-made arrangements.``
[03] FINANCE MINISTER - ECONOMY
Minister of Finance Charilaos Stavrakis assured on Monday that the
Cypriot economy remains on a very satisfactory course, with high growth
rates and conditions of full employment. Speaking at a press conference
in the light of the collapse of the fourth largest investment bank in
the US, Lehman Brothers, Stavrakis said that, despite the serious
problem in the American financial market affecting European economies,
the Cypriot economy is at the moment going against the current and is
among the best in Europe.
The Cypriot economy ``has sound foundations, it is moving on very
satisfactory levels and the aim of the state budget we will be
announcing in a couple of days is to safeguard this power,`` Stavrakis
said, adding however that if the crisis persists, then Cyprus would be
affected. ``If the international financial crisis lasts for a long
period, the Cypriot economy will definitely be affected. This is sure
and unavoidable,`` he added. Stavrakis said that through the crisis the
price of oil has dropped, which affects positively the Cypriot economy
and the consumers.
[04] COT - XL
The Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) is focusing on two actions to
cover the gap left by XL Airways, one of the major British airlines,
which closed down. Senior CTO officer Christos Moustras told CNA that
XL Airways, which closed down, was scheduled to transport some 10,000
tourists to Cyprus by the end of October. He noted that the total
number of British tourists during the period from May to October 2008
through XL Airways was 70,000.
Moustras said the CTO has already begun contacting various tour
operators and airlines to determine whether there are available seats
for Cyprus until the end of October. The tourists who had booked
organised tours for Cyprus are covered by British law and will either
be arriving with other arrangements or will get a refund. Moustras said
the aim is for the 10,000 tourists to travel to Cyprus but noted that
it was up to the clients themselves.
Moustras noted that contacts will be made during the World Travel
Market exhibition in London in November. He said the CTO participates
in the exhibition, adding that ``we will act soon and in time to see
what can be done with the gap left by XL.``
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