Day: March 30, 2022

As a country which was invaded and as a matter of principle, we are obligated to have the position we have been following on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades said on Wednesday evening, pointing out at the same time that the Republic of Cyprus has nothing against the Russian people. “we are following a single, united policy which is set by the EU,” he noted

President Anastasiades was replying to journalists` questions upon his arrival to an event for the presentation of former House of Representatives President Yiannakis Omirou`s book.

Asked about the Republic of Cyprus` actions for the exploitation of its natural gas reserves, he replied that “we are continuing a policy of exploitation both of our reserves and the region`s.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Cypriot Energy Minister Natasa Pilides said on Wednesday that the latest developments may positively affect the development program of Cyprus deposits and referred to her contacts with her counterparts of Egypt and Israel, towards this direction.

Invited to comment on the US Secretary of State`s position on the importance of the Eastern Mediterranean region in the energy sector and new role of Cyprus, Pilides said that the Egyptian Minister of Petroleum, whom she met this week, has already proceeded to have contacts with the EU and neighbouring countries, such as Israel, in order to find the necessary synergies for the Eastern Mediterranean to become a source of energy not only for the EU but also internationally.

The companies operating in Cyprus, she said speaking after a meeting of the Cabinet, are already taking into account these data and are trying

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The Cyprus Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI-CypERC) recorded a steep drop in March affected by weaker confidence in light of the war in Ukraine.

The (ESI-CypERC) compiled by the University of Cyprus’ Economic Research Centre (ERC) dropped by 9.4 points to 102.1 in March from 115.1 the previous month.

“In March, the sharp deterioration of economic sentiment and the rise in uncertainty among firms and consumers were driven by external developments, namely Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the sanctions imposed on Russia and the rising international commodity prices,” the ERC said, adding that these negative developments in March “resulted in large downward revisions in expectations about future activity and upward revisions in price expectations.”

According to the ERC the decrease in the ESI-CypERC resulted from weaker business confidence in serv

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Cyprus is very much not at the far end of Europe, but at the core of Europe and a key player and a key member state in Europe and Eurozone, said European Central Bank’s President Christine Lagarde in statements, at the Presidential Palace, in Nicosia after meeting with the President of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, in the presence of Central Bank Governor, Constantinos Herodotou.

At the same time, she expressed the belief that Cyprus will recover from the crisis caused by the war in Ukraine, praising the adaptability of the Cypriot economy during the banking crisis as well as during the pandemic crisis.

Lagarde, who is visiting Cyprus at the invitation of CBC Governor, had a meeting on Wednesday morning with Herodotou at the Central Bank and met after that with President Anastasiades at the Presidential Palace.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The example of Cyprus and the spirit of its people are inspiring, since they are agile, resilient and can turn crises into opportunities, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said on Wednesday, addressing a conference organised by the Central Bank of Cyprus in Nicosia.

Referring to the likely effects Cyprus may have from the crisis in Ukraine, she noted that the country will be affected by the inflationary pressure of higher energy costs and the tourism will be hit, while professional services, such as legal and financial sectors, will be affected to a degree, pointing out however that “with the right policy response, we can mitigate the consequences of the war and manage the high level of uncertainty we are facing.”

In her address and quoting Greek poet Constantine Kavafy’s poem, “Ithaca”, Lagarde said that it captures well the story of Cyprus,

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Cyprus is one of the member states of the EU in which the percentage of residents that are citizens of other countries (both from EU member states as well as from non-EU countries) is higher than 10%, coming in third place after Luxembourg and Malta, according to data released by Eurostat, the European Union’s statistical service.

At the same time, Cyprus is one of a few countries where the percentage of residents that are citizens of another EU member state is higher than the percentage of residents from non-EU countries.

According to the data released, on 1 January 2021, 11% of the residents of Cyprus were citizens of other EU member states, while 8% of residents were citizens of non-EU countries.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

One in two Cypriots had at least basic overall digital skills in 2021, just a little under the average in all European Union member states, according to data released by Eurostat, the EU’s statistical service.

In particular, 50% of Cypriots aged 16 to 74 were found in 2021 to have basic digital skills, in comparison with 54% of people in the European Union.

The highest shares of people aged 16 to 74 who had at least basic overall digital skills were found in the Netherlands and Finland (both 79%), followed by Ireland (70%)

On the other hand, the lowest share was recorded in Romania (28%), followed by Bulgaria (31%) and Poland (43%).

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Member of Parliament Irene Charalambides, Head of Delegation, Vice-President of the OSCE PA, Special Representative on Fighting Corruption, is visiting the USA, participating in a delegation of the OSCE PA and carrying out meetings at the UN headquarters.

A House Press release said Charalambides met on Monday with Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Nagaraj Kakanur, Ambassador and Chef de Cabinet to 76th President of the United Nations General Assembly.

Charalambides expressed appreciation for the constructive role of UNFICYP and the UN Secretary General’s Mission of good offices in efforts to resolve the Cyprus problem.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The Cabinet decided on Wednesday to extend the “test to stay” policy to include health professionals as of April 1st 2022. It has also decided to extend the measures already in place aiming to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, until April 11th 2022.

The Council of Ministers convened today at the Presidential Palace, in Nicosia.

A statement issued by the Deputy Governmental Spokesperson, Niovi Parisinou says that the Cabinet approved the application of the “test to stay” policy as of April 1st 2022 for health professionals in state and private hospitals, according to the Health Ministry guidelines.

Furthermore, it decided to extend the current measures taken against the COVID-19 pandemic until April 11th 2022.

Source: Cyprus News Agency