Day: April 8, 2022

Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides had Friday evening a telephone conversation with his Armenian counterpart, Ararat Mirzoyan, to convey “Cyprus` full solidarity with the Armenian people” and Nicosia`s support “to the forthcoming peace talks for the de-escalation of tensions in Nagorno-Karabakh.”

An announcement by the Foreign Ministry says that Kasoulides expressed hope that the Armenian side will attain its goals in order to secure guarantees for the security and stability in the region.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Five citizens were fined by the Police for violations of COVID measures in a total of 2,307 checks during the last 24 hours.

Police told the Cyprus News Agency that in Nicosia 1,174 checks were conducted and there was no violation. In Limassol in a total of 121 checks no fine was handed. In Larnaka the Police carried out 316 checks and fined 3 people and in Paphos no violation was detected in a total of 40 checks. Two people were fined in Famagusta during 293 checks.

No violation was detected in a total of 86 checks in Morphou. The Traffic Department and the Marine and Port Police carried out 257 and 2 checks respectively and no citizen was fined.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The EU’s Transport Ministers discussed the practical consequences for the transport sector of Russia`s invasion of Ukraine, as well as of the sanctions imposed by the European Union on Russia, during an extraordinary Council of Transport Ministers held on Friday via teleconference.

Cyprus was represented by the Minister of Transport, Communications and Works, Yiannis Karousos, who underlined the need for coordination on the EU level and for clear guidelines and clarifications to ensure the uniform and effective application of sanctions.

Referring to the impact of the Russian invasion against Ukraine on EU economies, Karousos pointed out that countries such as Cyprus, whose economy depends on tourism, have already lost a large number of passengers which will be difficult to recover from other markets.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

An event to launch a book of selected poems by the Cypriot poet Giorgos Christodoulides, translated from Greek to English by Despina Pirketti, was hosted on Tuesday evening at the Cyprus House in central London by the Cyprus High Commission.

The book, titled “Giorgos Christodoulides: Selected Poems (1996-2021)”, contains work by the poet spanning 25 years and is published by Armida, a Greek Cypriot publishing house.

Giorgos Christodoulides has written eight collections of poetry.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

No one is preventing Turkey from having a role and a say in the energy matters in the Mediterranean if and when Ankara agrees with the Republic of Cyprus on the demarcation lines of the Exclusive Economic Zones, President of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, said on Friday, adding that the EastMed project is a European one and it is not dependent on a US government decision.

The President was replying to questions from the press after the ceremony for the handover of the Larnaca port and marina to the investor, that took place Friday at the Larnaca Port.

President Anastasiades was asked if during his meeting yesterday with US Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland, the US official had conveyed any message from Ankara, and was invited to comment on Nuland`s interviews where an energy connection with the Turkish-occupied areas of Cyprus is implied, before reaching

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Relations between Cyprus and the USA are at their best, said President Anastasiades during a meeting with a delegation of AHEPA (American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association), which was held on Friday at the Presidential Palace, in Nicosia, according to a statement issued by the Deputy Governmental Spokesperson, Niovi Parisinou.

During the meeting, President Anastasiades thanked AHEPA for its contribution to the deepening of the strategic partnership between the two countries and informed the delegation about the Cyprus issue, his proposal about the CBMs (Confidence Building Measures), and the necessity to resolve the issue on the basis of international law, the Security Council resolutions and the European acquis, according to the statement.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Victoria Nuland, met, during her visit to Cyprus, with the UNSG`s Special Representative on the island, Colin Stewart.

Nuland said, in a post on Twitter, that they met “to discuss our critical efforts to promote peacebuilding on the island with the UN in Cyprus.”

Moreover, in another post, Nuland thanked Cyprus President, Nicos Anastasiades, for welcoming her back to Cyprus.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades, in a symbolic ceremony on Friday, handed over the key of the port and marina of the city of Larnaca to Kition Ocean Holdings, the Cypriot-Israeli consortium which was awarded the project of redevelopment of Larnaca port and Marina.

In his speech during the ceremony, the President said that the day was historic for the city, its citizens but also for all Cyprus. As he said, the grand project related to the area in which the port and marina will be developed, not only takes shape, but is expected to contribute to the progress of the city of Larnaca and the of the whole territory.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The Output Prices Index in Construction in the fourth quarter of 2021 has recorded an annual increase of 9.3%.

According to the Statistical Service of the Republic of Cyprus, the Output Prices Index in Construction for the fourth quarter of 2021 reached 121.29 units (base year 2015=100.00), recording an increase of 3,9% over the third quarter of 2021. Compared to the same

quarter of the previous year, the index increased by 9.3%.

By type of project, an increase of 9.4% was observed for buildings and of 8.9% for civil engineering projects in the fourth quarter of 2021 compared to the corresponding quarter of 2020.

For the period January-December 2021, the overall index registered an increase of 5.2% over the corresponding period of 2020. An increase of 6.4% was recorded in the index for buildings and of 1.2% in the index for civil engine

Source: Cyprus News Agency

An annual drop of 5.3% was recorded in the Cyprus House Price Index (HPI) in Cyprus during the 4th quarter of last year.

According to preliminary estimate of the Cyprus Statistical Service, the HPI for the fourth quarter of 2021 amounts to 103.28 units.

Compared to the third quarter of 2021, the HPI decreased by 3.1% while compared to the Index of the corresponding quarter of 2020, the Index fell by 5.3%.

Source: Cyprus News Agency