Day: September 24, 2021

About 4% of Cypriots said they were affected by asthma in 2019, a bit under the European Union average (which stood at around 6%), according to the latest data released by Eurostat, the EU’s statistical service.

In 2019, the EU average increased slightly by 0.3% compared to 2014 (from 5.4% to 5.7%). In Cyprus, the share declined slightly again by 0.3% compared to 2014 (from 4.3% to 4.0%).

Finland was at the top of the list among EU countries, with 9% of the people reporting to have asthma, followed by Germany and France (both 8%).

In contrast, only 2% of people in both Romania and Bulgaria reported suffering from asthma.

The largest increases compared with 2014 were noted in Germany (1.9 percentage points), Croatia (1.8 percentage points), and Belgium (1.5 percentage points).

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The European Commission has approved a €2.7 million scheme by Cyprus to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) active in the agricultural and livestock production, affected by the coronavirus outbreak.

According to a Commission press release, the scheme takes the form of non-payment of lease contracts for years 2020 and 2021 due to the state on lots and allotment of land belonging to Turkish Cypriots (managed by the Ministry of Interior) as well as leases on state land and forest land.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades said on Friday that an invitation he has extended to Turkish Cypriots to rejoin the state institutions in accordance to the 1960 Constitution is not meant to be alternative to the agreed basis of a Cyprus solution but rather that it is meant to ease the community back into the state pending a final settlement.

President Anastasiades, who was addressing the 76th UN General Assembly in New York, also assured the assembly of his “determination to set the negotiation process back on track, on the basis of the UN framework and the agreement reached in Berlin on November 25, 2019.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Delegations of the Ministries of Defence of the Republic of Cyprus and the United States of America, held today, in Nicosia, their first meeting in the framework of the dialogue between the two countries on defense and security issues, a press release said.

“During the consultations, the delegations of the two countries had the opportunity to discuss recent developments and progress achieved in security and defence, while recording the prospects of further strengthening existing cooperation through additional joint actions and by concluding new agreements”, it said.

The two delegations also discussed other issues of mutual interest concerning the wider Eastern Mediterranean region, as well as issues of international nature, according to the press release.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov has reiterated to Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades his country`s position of principle that “it remains committed in reaching a solution of the Cyprus problem in full compliance of UN resolutions and the Security Council`s decisions.”

According to a presidency press release, in statements after a meeting with Lavrov in New York, where they are both attending the 76th UN General Assembly, President Anastasiades said that it was “a very interesting meeting,” during which he had the opportunity “to brief him on recent developments and to express my warm thanks on the stance that Russia has maintained at the Security Council following the recent events of Turkey violating the status quo in Famagusta.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Permanent representatives of the UN Security Council five permanent members have conveyed to Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades their support of his efforts for the resumption of the negotiating process and condemned Turkey`s actions in the fenced-off part of Turkish occupied Famagusta, known as Varosha, during a lunch he hosted, on the sidelines of the 76th UN General Assembly, in New York on Friday.

During the lunch, President Anastasiades referred extensively to developments in the Cyprus problem, in view of a lunch he will have next Monday with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar, a presidency press release says.

Source: Cyprus News Agency