Day: December 14, 2021

Police conducted 2,593 checks in the last 24 hours and fined 11 citizens and 3 establishment owners for violation of COVID-19 measures.

A police spokesperson told CN? that in Nicosia after 1,097 checks one individual was fined while in Limassol, from 222 checks 3 establishment owners were reported.

In Larnaca after 491 checks, 3 citizens were reported while in Paphos from 132 checks 1 citizen was fined. In Famagusta from 366 checks, 6 citizens were reported while no reports were made after 177 checks in Morphou area.

No fines were issued after 103 checks by the Traffic police.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

High concentrations of dust are observed in the air on Tuesday, according to measurements from ground Stations of the Air Quality Monitoring Network operated by the Department of Labour Inspection.

The public, and particularly any vulnerable groups of population (children, older people, and the infirm) are urged to avoid circulating in open spaces until the observed episode has elapsed, as the small size of respirable particles in dust may have negative effects on human health.

Employers must take appropriate measures (organizational and/or technical) after assessing any risks that their employees may face while working in open spaces, and it is recommended that workers in such spaces use appropriate means of personal protection.

In detail, the latest hourly dust concentrations measured at 7:00 am in the following areas are: Lefkosia, 54.0 µg/m3, in Lemesos , 89.3 µg/m3, in Larnaka, 61.2 µg/m3, in Paralimni, 47.9 µg/m3, in Pafos 36.9 µg/m3, in Zygi 49.1 µg/m3 and in Ayia Marina Xyliatou 60.3 µg/m3.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Cyprus is the launchpad of the celebrations to mark International Moon Day which the United Nations General Assembly approved to be celebrated annually on 20th July, it was announced during an online press conference on Tuesday in Nicosia by the Moon Village Association in cooperation with the Cyprus Space Exploration Organisation.

Giuseppe Reibaldi, President of the Moon Village Association said the MVA was partnering again with CSEO after the very successful 5th Global Moon Village Workshop & Symposium that took place online on 6 – 8 of December 2021 and was hosted by CSEO from Nicosia.

He said the MVA made the proposal in August to celebrate international moon day and was originated by Imanuela Ionescu, legal adviser of MVA.

Explaining what International Moon Day is he said it is an event on 20 July to commemorate the landing of humans on the moon and the main goal is to raise awareness to the general public about the status and prospect of programmes on a global level of the moon exploration and utilisation. It also aims to promote public support for getting involved in this major step for humanity.

“I believe that it is known that the moon is the next destination for humanity, starting with 2022 we will have six missions going to the moon”, said Reibaldi, noting “as you see, in 2022, the moon will be very populated”.

This proposal was endorsed by the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN COPUOS) s and went to the General assembly and was approved on 9 December, said Reibaldi.

Reibaldi also noted that the MVA will try to encourage local events and also work on Cyprus’ role but will also try to foster global events for the occasion.

Our main message, he said “is that more than 50 year ago we went to the moon because of competition. Now we are going to the moon because of cooperation”, to cooperate with each other and reap the benefit for all humankind as well as stimulating engagement from the young generation.

Imanuela Ionescu, legal adviser of MVA said she made the proposal to “meet challenges of the new space age, based on cooperation and not by competition”.

Moon is for exploration, she said, “we can notice the increasing density of the missions to the moon, the plans to land humans to the moon and building permanent basis to the moon”, adding we need to inspire the public and especially the younger generation.

“I acknowledge the relevance of the awareness of the public related to space missions through the Asteroid Day which definitely inspired me to propose the International Moon Day”, she added.

On his part, cosmonaut Dumitru-Dorin Prunariu, former chairman of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UN COPUOS) underlined the significance of the approval of the date from the UN, noting the recognition of the UN gives “very high importance to what we do”.

“Recognising 20th July as a very important day for the exploration of the moon, the date is important because the first step of a person was made on the moon on that day, has tremendous importance. So, every year, we will organise scientific, cultural activities, we will inform the public about the evolution of moon exploration and goals and results”, he remarked.

Everybody agreed on the proposal and it was included this year in the report of UN COPUOS and approved by the general assembly just a few days ago, said Prunariu.

“This is an occasion for the whole world to promote space exploration, cooperation and mutual understanding in the exploration of the moon”, he said.

Regarding Cyprus’ role in the future Prunariu said the European Space Agency is in the process of exploring the moon in the future. Already three European astronauts are ready and could take in missions to the moon.

“All our countries taking part in the programmes could have a contribution, scientific, elements of programmes, parts of hardware and so on. Maybe in future also Cyprus could be involved in the way in the moon through their partners in European Space Agency”, he added.

Danos said “we may very well make announcements in the foreseeable future” about Cyprus’ participation.

He also said that Cyprus will be the launchpad of the events to celebrate the International Moon Day following the successful workshop earlier this month.

The Cyprus News Agency is the communication sponsor.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The Regulation on Health Technology Assessment represents the very first output of the Pharmaceutical Strategy for Europe and is integral in ensuring a stronger European Health Union, EU Commissioner, Stella Kyriakides has told the European Parliament plenary, that meets in Strasbourg.

Kyriakides noted, among others, that the adoption of the Regulation was long-awaited and that the Regulation builds on many years of hard work by experts across the EU, and experience gathered during the three EUnetHTA Joint Actions facilitating cooperation between member states. It provides a comprehensive and sustainable legal framework to make the much-needed step forward. And it will deliver concrete benefits to our citizens, our member states, and our healthcare systems, she stressed.

As she noted, the HTA Regulation will enable high quality joint clinical assessments of innovative medicines and some medical devices at EU level. It will secure inclusiveness and transparency in the Health Technology Assessment process, and it will increase predictability for Member States’ authorities and for industry, she added.

Moreover, she said that it will help member states to take more timely and evidence-based decisions on patient access to innovative technologies within healthcare systems.

“More than ever, the current pandemic has underlined the need for enhanced cooperation between Member States – and this Regulation reflects and responds to that need. It is another important step towards a stronger European Health Union,” she added.

“With this Regulation, we are giving health experts, the producers, and most importantly of all – patients, a new framework that will help us to address unmet medical needs and facilitate access to innovative medicines and medical devices. I look forward to continuing working together to ensure the new rules are successfully and timely implemented,” she concluded.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The Agriculture and Fisheries Council of the European Union, which convened on the 12th and 13th of December in Brussels, adopted conclusions on contingency planning to safeguard food supply and food security in times of crisis.

The issue has been on the Council`s agenda recently due to the problems caused in agriculture and food supply chains due to the pandemic.

During his intervention, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Costas Kadis referred to the importance of the existence of mechanisms at the EU level to strengthen crisis preparedness, particularly in these sectors, according to an official statement.

Kadis also recalled that Cyprus is one of the countries facing the possibility of severe weather events in the future as it is considered a hot spot in relation to climate change and expressed his satisfaction with the inclusion of references to climate change crises and island states in the conclusions.

The ministers also exchanged views on unfair commercial practices in the food sector, noting that these practices are present in most member states, as well as on the recent EU directive which aims to address the issue. Kadis briefed his counterparts on the transposition of the directive into national law in Cyprus last week through a unanimous vote in the House of Representatives.

Kadis also expressed Cyprus’ support to the Commission`s proposal for a regulation to restrict selling and export of products related to deforestation and forest degradation,

The ministers also discussed once again the critical situation in the pork sector, as a result of the increase in energy and feed prices. Several ministers, including Kadis, called on the Commission to activate exceptional market support measures, with particular attention to the adverse effects on agriculture of the increases in cereal, energy, fertiliser and feed prices.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades travels to Brussels Wednesday to attend the Eastern Partnership summit on December 15 and the EU Summit on December 16.

According to the Presidency, the EU Summit will discuss the pandemic and the EU coordination, the hike in energy prices, EU`s foreign relations, the migration crisis and defense and security issues.

On the sidelines of the Eastern Partnership summit the President will meet with Armenian`s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Cyprus issue, the bilateral ties and the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh are on the agenda of the meeting.

Spokesperson Marios Pelekanos will be travelling with the President to Brussels.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Cyprus President, Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader, Ersin Tatar will attend at 19.00 local time (17.00 GMT) a reception hosted by the UN, at Ledra Palace, in the buffer zone in Nicosia.

They both accepted the invitation of the new UNSG Special Representative Colin Stewart who said on Friday that it is an informal social event without an agenda. Stewart had his first separate meetings with the two leaders on Friday.

He has also expressed the hope that tonight’s reception “will be another chance to get to know the leaders better, let them have some time among themselves as well and hopefully get off to a good start.”

Due to the pandemic, reception will be held with limited participations. Besides the two leaders, Greek Cypriot negotiator, Andreas Mavroyiannis, special representative of Turkish Cypriot leader, Ergun Olgun and the head of the Technical Committees of both sides will attend the event.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory. Numerous rounds of talks under the UN aegis to reunite the island under a federal roof failed to yield results.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Turkey has a huge responsibility for resolving the humanitarian issue of the missing persons, Presidential Commissioner Photis Photiou said on Wednesday, addressing an event on Human Rights Day at a high school in Nicosia.

Photiou said that despite the efforts by the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) and all the actions on international level, no solution was found and the relatives of the missing cannot find closure.

The Commissioner said that all our efforts run counter to the uncompromising and inhuman attitude of Turkey, whose responsibilities are enormous. He referred to all the obstacles put forward by Ankara whose unaccommodating stance hinders the issue. Photiou particularly referred to the lack of cooperation in cases of mass graves, transfers of remains and the refusal to open the military archives which contain valuable information.

He also said that Turkey`s behavior and stance was repeatedly condemned by the UN Security Council, the UN General Assembly and the UN Commission on Human Rights, as well as the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the European Court of Human Rights etc.

The Commissioner referred to the work done so far by the CMP adding that our side with good will and sincerity accommodates these efforts for the fate of each and every one of our missing persons, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.

He also referred to the other violations of human rights by Turkey as a result of the 1974 invasion.

Since the Turkish invasion, the fate of hundreds of people remains unknown.

A Committee on Missing Persons (CMP) 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 missing persons.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Bilateral ties between Cyprus and Egypt are now at an all-time high, said Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, following consultations with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt, Sameh Shoukry in Nicosia.

The meeting between the two Foreign Ministers on Tuesday, provided an excellent opportunity to hold an in depth discussion on the bilateral, trilateral and regional partnerships, “which are going from strength to strength, for the benefit of our peoples and also of our whole region,” he said. Christodoulides noted that they reviewed the entire spectrum of their cooperation, and exchanged views on the next steps that lie ahead in the efforts to build a secure, peaceful and more prosperous future for the generations to come.

He added that they also reviewed the progress achieved on the basis of what they had agreed during the meeting between Cyprus and Egypt that took place in Cairo last September, in the presence of the Presidents of the two countries. At the same time, he said, they followed up on a number of issues, implementing the road map that will lead them to a second meeting between the countries foreseen to take place in the autumn of next year.

He also said that they signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the cooperation between the recently established Cyprus Diplomatic Academy and the Institute of Diplomatic Studies of Egypt.

The two Ministers, also took stock of the recent Trilateral and Quadrilateral meetings in Athens, with Greece and with France.

“We noted with satisfaction the strategic nature that these formations have been assuming ? always on the foundation of a positive agenda ? as well as their added value to our shared endeavours and aspirations for the Eastern Mediterranean and the broader region. Acknowledging their vast potential, we further explored and discussed possible next steps along the path of their enhancement”, said Christodoulides.

He added that they also exchanged views on the Middle East Peace Process, on the situation in Libya ahead of the scheduled, upcoming elections, and on the latest developments in the Eastern Mediterranean.

“On my part, I highlighted our deep concern regarding Turkey’s increasingly revisionist and destabilizing foreign policy, as manifested in various hot points across the entire region”, he said.

Christodoulides assured his counterpart that Cyprus, as the closest EU Member State to the region, geographically, aspires to continue to act as the bridge with the EU, not only for Egypt but for the entire region, consistently making the case for the region’s importance from the perspective of Brussels.

“At the same time, we shall continue to advocate for the EU’s need to be present, engaged and active in this part of the world, which is after all the EU’s own neighbourhood, and one of great geostrategic importance”, he added.

The Cypriot Minister also briefed his counterpart on the latest developments in relation to the Cyprus problem, expressing disappointment for the intransigent stance of the Turkish government when it comes to international efforts led by the UN Secretary General to reach a solution through negotiations that will reunite the island on the basis of the agreed framework, as set out by the relevant UNSC resolutions, and in line with International and European Law.

At the same time, he reaffirmed the government’s readiness and commitment to continue to engage constructively towards the achievement of this goal.

“Egypt’s steadfast support in our efforts, in international and regional fora, is vitally important and greatly appreciated”, he said.

Christodoulides also said that Cyprus and Egypt have a shared understanding that geography is destiny that it cannot be changed.

“It is up to us, therefore, the countries of the region to turn our geography into blessing. You can be sure that we will never tire to work towards this goal, together with all like-minded countries in the region”, he concluded.

On his part the Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry referred to a very long history of relationship between the Cypriot and Egyptian people, which is consistent and well founded on the principles of mutual interest, cooperation and mutual respect.

Shoukry said that he had conveyed to the Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades the importance that the Egyptian President Sisi attaches to the Egyptian – Cypriot relationship and conveyed an invitation to him for participation in the forthcoming World Youth Forum in Sharm El-Sheikh.

He also said that the two Governments don’t miss an opportunity to interact and to see how to enhance bilateral relations and coordinate in order to create stability and security for the Eastern Mediterranean Region in association with their partners in the region and the European Union.

He added that they discussed with his Cypriot counterpart ways to find new areas of cooperation, on the potential of convening shortly a business council and exploring economic opportunities and taking full advantage of the natural resources of the two countries in the context of cooperation in the Eastern Mediterranean Gas Forum (EMGF).

“The cooperation in the field of energy is an important one, because of our need to fully utilise of our resources for the best interest of our people and we believe that EMGF is the appropriate venue that combines the nations of the region on the basis of cooperation, of mutual respect, of non – interference. And that should be the basis that must be reinforced in our region”, he said.

The Minister added that they discussed with his Cyprus counterpart, their cooperation in the international organisations, their political understanding on regional issues and the best possible implementation of the agreements they have signed.

On the Cyprus issue he said that it’s important to continue efforts to resolve the issue on the basis of the Security Council resolutions and on the basis of the negotiations. He also welcomed the flexibility and the accommodation that has been shown by the Government of Cyprus in this regard.

He added that challenges in the region should be faced through the adherence to international legitimacy and international law with respect to the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the states of the region, non-expansionist policies and avoiding aggressive activities.

On the Palestinian-Israel issue he stressed the importance of a resolution on the basis of a two-state solution. He also noted the importance of elections in Libya and the need of eradication of terrorism in many countries of the region. He mentioned the cooperation with other Arab countries, as well as Cyprus and for the stability and security of the region.

He also said that Egypt in the last years has proved to be a responsible participant and a partner that someone can be depended on, that can fulfil expectations in areas such as the management of illegal immigration, the economy and infrastructure and in protecting basic human rights.

Soukri also praised the role that Cyprus plays in the relations between Egypt and the EU, by conveying their voice and the conditions the region faces.

“We highly value the relationship that exists between Egypt and Cyprus we looked to it as an example of what can be achieved through productive and faithful relationships and we look forward to continuing this long-standing, friendly, warm and productive relationship for many years to come”, he concluded.

Source: Cyprus News Agency