Day: May 27, 2022

A proposal by the Greek Cypriot side on Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) should not be rejected since “this kind of opportunities will not always be offered,” Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides said on Friday.

Speaking on the sidelines of an OSCE parliamentary assembly conference, in Nicosia, the Minister was asked about reports saying that a letter, containing proposals on CBMs was sent, among others, to the Turkish Cypriot leader, as well as to the United Nations. “The letter referred to various issues as a good will gesture on our part” pointing more towards what is considered to be the common good for Cyprus, Kasoulides explained.

Among other issues, he went on, there is also a proposal on CBMs, which were submitted a year ago by the President of Cyprus, Nicos Anastasiades, to the UN Secretary-General “but because there was no agreement, the proposal is repeated providing an opportunity to be discussed.”

Asked about the prospects of these proposals, the Minister said that “we submit proposals, both in relation to the Cyprus issue and the CBMs and the Turkish side is rejecting them so far.” He noted however that up to this point he did not hear anything about the particular proposal on CBMs being rejected.

“There is no rejection yet. I am not saying with certainty that there will not be one” but “because this is a unique chance, that will offer the Turkish Cypriot community economic progress and prosperity, we believe that this proposal should not be rejected, since this kind of opportunities will not always be offered,” the Minister underlined.

As for Turkey’s activities in the region, Kasoulides said that the government made protests, pointing out that however that “Turkey wants to pursue its own policy.”

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

House President, Annita Demetriou, briefed the Margareta Cederfelt, President of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) on the latest Turkish provocations in Varosha, during a meeting on the occasion of the International Conference of the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE in Nicosia. Demetriou also met with Hanne Juncher, Execituve Director of GRECO, and Roby Senderowitsch, World Bank Manager of Leadership, Learning & Innovation

Demetriou welcomed the President of the PA of OSCE in Cyprus and expressed her satisfaction for the smooth collaboration with the House of Representatives, as a result of which was the organisation of the International Conference in Nicosia, following the initiative of Irene Charalambides, a parliamentary press release says.

Demetriou briefed Cederfelt on the latest Turkish provocations in Varosha, the fenced off section of the Turkish occupied town of Famagusta. UN Security Council resolution 550 (1984) considers any attempts to settle any part of Varosha by people other than its inhabitants as inadmissible and calls for the transfer of this area to the administration of the UN. Turkish Cypriot leader, Ersin Tatar, announced in July 2021 a partial lifting of the military status in Varosha and the latest actions in that direction occurred a few days ago.

The House President said during her meeting with Cederfelt, that these actions undermine the efforts to restart the talks towards a resolution of the Cyprus Problem, in order to reunite the island in peace and security, after its violent division due to the Turkish invasion in 1974. Cederfelt praised the Cypriot delegation in the PA OSCE and expressed her wish for the restoration of peace and security in Cyprus, as soon as possible.

During her meeting with Hanne Juncher, Demetriou spoke of the latest reforms and legislations in Cyprus, that aim to combat corruption. Juncher congratulated Cyprus for making progress in the right direction.

The press release concludes that, during her conversation with Roby Senderowitsch, Demetriou expressed the wish of the House of Representatives to extent its collaboration with the World Bank and Senderowitsch stressed out the importance of national parliaments in the fight against corruption, during the oversight and approval of budgets.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Rate hikes by the European Central Bank are visible as the medium-term inflation target seems to be achieved, Central Bank of Cyprus (CBC) Governor Constantinos Herodotou said on Friday, stressing that any impact from the expected rate hikes in Cyprus will be manageable.

In statements following a meeting with the executive committee of trade-union SEK, Herodotou said the ECB medium-term target of inflation of 2% is achieved, adding that the situation is projected to normalise as the high inflation dynamics seem to be short-term.

However, he pointed out that inflation both in Europe and Cyprus “is fueled by the high energy prices which are difficult to be tackled easy or directly by interest rates.”

“But as the ECB medium-term target is achieved, rate hikes are visible,” Herodotou added, pointing out that the situation in Cyprus is “manageable because banks grant loans on the basis of payment capacity.”

Furthermore, invited to comment on the decision by banking employees trade-union ETYK to suspend a decision to hold a 24-hour strike in Hellenic Bank, Herodotou said it is important to have room for dialogue.

Recalling that this issue lies within the competencies of the Ministry of Labour, Herodotou added that from the CBC’s standpoint a bank should have a sustainable future.

“Therefore, the result of any negotiation should be seen in that context,” he said.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades has expressed hope that Turkey would reconsider its ongoing provocations in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean.

Responding to questions by members of the press on his way to the unveiling ceremony of the bust of Americos Argyriou in Limassol, on Friday, President Anastasiades, asked whether the government was concernedabout the escalating Turkish provocations in the Aegean and the Mediterranean, he said “any provocation, should definitely be of concern.”

He expressed hope that, “prudent, or wiser thoughts” would prevail on the part of Turkey “and that this revisionism that is being observed will not continue”. He added that it will not continue, if, “finally”, those who, today, react to something similar to what happened with Russia, “and who are doing the right thing”, express the same sensitivity in this case as well.

Asked about the fire that erupted earlier in the day in the Turkish occupied area of Kormakitis, he said that the government had expressed its readiness to provide any assistance needed “because our homeland, Cyprus, is one, and therefore, regardless of the regime it is currently under, the occupation, that is, it does not cease to be a part we feel for, that we definitely want to protect.”

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Repeated rounds of UN-led peace talks have so far failed to yield results.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

In April 2022, total sales of petroleum products reached 112,803 tons, an increase of 17.5% compared to April 2021, according to data provided by the Cyprus Statistical Service.

According to the official data, there was an increase in aviation kerosene provisions (484.5%) and marine gasoil (15.5%), as well as sales of light fuel oil (69.3%). On the contrary, a decrease was recorded in the sales of kerosene (82.2%), asphalt (54.2%), heating oil (31.0%), diesel (14.0%) and gasoline (1.7 %). Regarding sales from petrol stations, there was a decrease of 9.8% to 47,856 tons.

It is added that total sales of oil products in April 2022 compared to March 2022 fell by 5.9%. Indicatively, the supplies of aviation kerosene increased by 81.0%, while sales of gasoline recorded a drop of 4.9% and of diesel of 7.6%. Total petroleum stocks at the end of April 2022 increased by 7.5% compared to the end of the previous month.

During the period January – April 2022, total sales of oil products increased by 21.9% compared to the corresponding period of the previous year.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The role of National Parliaments in preventing and fighting corruption was discussed on Friday during an international conference hosted in Nicosia by Cyprus Parliament with the support of the OSCE PA International Secretariat.

In her keynote speech during a session of the conference OSCE CiO Special Representative for Combating Corruption Anita Ramasastry referred to the new reality that war, climate, pandemic and food security creates to the fight against corruption.

As she said, it is vital that the parliaments have recognised the corruption challenges but now war, pandemic, energy security means that action is needed.

She also said that while debating all these other issues, the issues corruption and good governance should be present as a part of the policy making solutions, not just a specialised, separate debate.She added that corruption is now producing war and makes it hard to secure peace.

Group of States against Corruption (GRECO) Executive Secretary Hanne Juncher, said that even though GRECO appreciates very much the high level of engagement of its member states, the implementation of GRECO’s recommendations can be further strengthened. She spoke of the need for concrete improvements, saying that anything that national parliaments can do to facilitate this, would be highly appreciated. She also stressed the importance of raising awareness on the cost and negative implications of corruption for people lives.

Chief of the Corruption and Economic Crime Branch of the UN competent office Brigitte Strobel-Shaw stressed the need to bring national obligations in line with international obligations. She also said that national parliaments have a central role to play by promoting adherence, enacting legislative measures necessary for the implementation and follow up on recommendations of the country’s reviews.

OSCE PA Vice-President, Special Representative of the OSCE PA on Combating Corruption Irene Charalambides, stressed the role of parliament on voting legislations to fight corruption and holding governments accountable. She also stressed the importance of the role that national parliaments can have in the ultimate control of public finances.

At the same time she said that the media plays an important role in defending democracy and it is the parliament’s obligation to guarantee freedom of the media and to secure the broader possible space for the civil society.

She referred to the negative experience of Cyprus concerning corruption, saying that it is important that national parliaments put their own house in order first.

Charalambides pointed out that corruption does not stop at national borders and that links across borders are common, which makes parliamentary cooperation at regional and global level a very valuable tool.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Cyprus’ government announced a new package of financial support for vulnerable groups of the population, to the tune of €103 million on Friday, to offset the impact of inflation and the war in Ukraine. The support package, which follows, another one for the consequences of the pandemic, amounting to €192 million, was approved on Friday by the Council of Ministers.

In statements after the Cabinet meeting, Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides said that, after the pandemic, the country has entered a period of inflation, primarily due to external factors and the war in Ukraine.

He noted that no government can kill inflation at its root, as rising liquidity in the market may give rise to inflationary pressures, leading to a vicious cycle of price rises.

He said that the government, “in a sensible and careful manner”, will try to help those in need in a way that will not upset fiscal stability. He added that “we are also entering an era in which interest rates will rise, which includes an increase in the cost of borrowing and debt service by the state itself.”

The Minister said that this new package of 11 support measures aims to help vulnerable groups of the population, such as pensioners, low-income households with children under 18, large families, beneficiaries of the Guaranteed Minimum Income allowance, but also livestock farmers and producers of crops.

He also said that the measures, among other things, concern subsidies for the services of caregivers for young children, for kindergarten fees, for the installation of photovoltaics in homes and roof insulations, and simplified procedures for applications for obtaining a licence for the installation of Renewable Energy Systems.

The Minister also announced that the measure for the reduction of VAT a regards electricity, as well as the measures already in place for VAT on petrol and heating fuel, will be extended until the end of August.

He said that the Cabinet also discussed issues such as increasing inspections to stamp out profiteering.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The fight against corruption is a security priority in the OSCE pledged Margareta Cederfelt, President of the OSCE PA during the opening remarks of a conference in Nicosia hosted by the House of Representatives.

Addressing the international conference on Combating Corruption, Defending Democracy: The Role of National Parliaments, with the support of the OSCE PA International Secretariat, the first such physical gathering of participants since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, she warned that corruption is a very serious crime and parliamentarians need to act and be responsible.

The conference comes at the initiative of OSCE PA Vice-President Irene Charalambides of Cyprus who has served as the Assembly’s Special Representative on Fighting Corruption since 2019.

In her welcoming remarks, Charalambides underlined that “political will is the key tool against corruption”.

There are too many politicians in this room who have the power to make the change, to promote the idea and ensure implementation of adequate legislation, she said.

“We need to constantly reinforce our relations with international stakeholders in the field of combatting corruption and share their knowledge. This conference serves precisely the proposed of sending a strong message of our determination as parliamentarians to be better informed, more ambitious regarding our anti-corruption agenda and more effective in order to meet our citizens’ expectations”.

On her part, the OSCE PA President said “our presence today confirms that fight in corruption is a security priority across the OSCE region as it seriously undermines state development and impacts citizens’ lives,” she said.

On the war in Ukraine, Cederfelt said the OSCE PA is supporting peacebuilding stability but we also have to continue with all the other important issues. “If we forget them we will have a bigger problem when the war ends”, she added.

She congratulated the steadfast commitment of Charalambides who “has taken very important initiative that will put OSCE PA in the forefront when it comes to conquering corruption, to adopt a code of conduct”, expressing the hope that it will soon be ready to be adopted as it is a very important step forward”.

“Corruption is a very serious threat to the rule of law and stability of our societies, it affects all states in the world, undermining fundamental democratic values, institutions and also has an impact on social, economic as well as the political development”, said Cederfelt, as it diverts critical resources from addressing the citizens’ needs and alienates us from our democratic process.

When it comes to ending serious crimes, she added, “we as parliamentarians need to act, to be responsible, that’s why we are elected, that’s the trust our citizens have shown us when we were elected. Our duty to show this respect to our democratic institutions.”

In the fight against corruption the role of parliamentarians is pivotal. This gives us the possibility to act internationally and also make the law to scrutinise the government, see that the laws are implemented and develop the legislation. Now its time to come for a new proposal as there are new threats as corruption has found new ways.

Cederfelt said organisations like the OSCE PA, facilitate the dynamic interaction of parliamentarians. From 57 countries, “we have a fantastic way and opportunity to have impact on an international level and bring experience from others’ success”.

She also called on all parliamentarians to share relevant expertise and consider effective policies in the fight against corruption. “Fighting corruption has to remain a top priority for all OSCE member countries and a question for all parliamentarians and governments. And this is key to defend our democracy and stay true to our values and those who have elected us”, she concluded.

Ambassador Artur Dmochowski, Special Envoy of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office said theparliamentary dimension of the OSCE and the assembly itself is strengthening multilateralism and promoting conflict prevention through dialogue. “And today this task might have more meaning than ever. The OSCE has been designed to prevent another war on the continent and help to protect security and stability of the continent”, he said.

Referring to the war in the Ukraine, Dmochowski said in the face of such an unprecedented breach of the international order like the current Russian unprovoked brutal aggression against Ukraine, “we realise that the scale of violations of international law, including humanitarian and human rights is enormous.”

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, he added, Poland, as the chair of the OSCE, has taken a firm stance in defence of the organisation’s values and principles which stand fundamental norms such as sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence and freedom to choose alliances. The international community has repeatedly called on Russia to stop the atrocities and allow the humanitarian effort to be stepped up. He said the strength of the OSCE lies in its comprehensive approach to the concept of security.

The Polish OSCE chairmanship, he added, “regards the fight against corruption as a cornerstone of a modern democratic society, it is one of key priorities in the economic and environmental dimension, therefore we decided to include a thematic focus on anti-corruption efforts to increase transparency, good governance in all meetings of the 2022 economic and environmental fall cycle”.

As he noted that corruption is a phenomenon occurring in all regions of the world, Dmochowski said it causes not only social, economic and political implications and can undermine the basic fabric of our societies and by enhancing good governance, state authorities increase their democratic legitimacy, boost the economy, prevent social injustice and ultimately promote greater security.

The fight against corruption at all levels, he added, plays an important role in the promotion and protection of human rights and in the process of creating sustaining, accountable and transparent institutions to achieve the full implementation of human rights.

It is crucial, he added, that all violations and abuses of human rights and democratic institutions in the OSCE area including in particular those stemming from the Russian aggression against Ukraine are discussed and brought to the attention of public opinion.

“I strongly believe that national parliaments as the pillars of democracy can play a crucial role in the field of combatting corruption” he concluded.

Roberto Montella, Secretary General of the OSCE PA said it was good to focus on other issues except Ukraine and underlined the work of Charalambides and her colleagues to press the importance in fighting corruption.

“Corruption is a threat to the very foundation of our societies and involves the very principles of the OSCE which are to protect the democratic institutions, general and transparent elections, the respect of human rights, media freedom, rule of law, minorities,” the OSCE SG said.

He noted that the citizens are the victims of corrupt societies and for this reason, “it is very important that parliamentarians engage and try to change legislation and bring national legislation very stringent to fight corruption. We owe it to our citizens,” he added.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Total deposits and total loans recorded a monthly increase in April, according to the Central Bank of Cyprus which published on Friday the Monetary Financial Institutions (MFIs) Deposits and Loans Statistics for the reference month of April 2022, which are included in the May 2022 edition of Monetary and Financial Statistics.

In a press release the CBC says that total deposits in April 2022 recorded a net increase of €146.5 million, compared with a net decrease of €1.1 billion in March 2022. The annual growth rate stood at 2.9%, compared with 3.8% in March 2022. The outstanding amount of deposits reached €51.0 billion in April 2022.

Total loans in April 2022 recorded a net increase of €64.5 million, compared with a net decrease of €6.8 million in March 2022. The annual growth rate stood at 2.7%, compared with 2.3% in March 2022. The outstanding amount of total loans reached €28.0 billion in April 2022.

The CBC notes that the term “net decrease/increase” represents the term “transactions”, i.e. it does not include the changes resulting from reclassifications, exchange rate and other adjustments.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

There is an interest from several countries in order to expand the trilateral cooperation schemes which Cyprus and Greece have established with countries of the region, newly appointed Secretary-General of the Permanent Secretariat for the Tripartite Cooperation Mechanisms with countries in the region, Alexandros Zenon, has told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), adding that trilateral cooperation schemes have reinforced the political and diplomatic potential of Cyprus.

In an interview with CNA, on the occasion of the operation in Nicosia of the Permanent Secretariat, Zenon said that its role and responsibility of the Permanent Secretariat will be to monitor the implementation of the decisions taken in trilateral meetings, either by the Heads of State and Government or by Ministers.

He noted that the Permanent Secretariat will facilitate the implementation of the decisions, will make suggestions on the substance of the various activities, will find sources of funding for various activities being decided and will make suggestions for the ad hoc participation of other countries in trilateral schemes, adding that there is an interest as regards this

Expanding trilateral schemes

Asked about the potentials regarding the expansion of the trilateral cooperation schemes, with the participation of other countries, and if steps are being taken towards this direction, Zenon said that the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain have expressed interest in forging trilateral cooperation schemes with Cyprus and Greece.

He added that in the past interest was also expressed from a specific side for a trilateral schemed to become quadrilateral but no progress was made on that for various reasons that were not due to Cyprus or Greece.

He recalled that there is a 3+1 scheme (Cyprus, Greece, Israel and the US) for specific issues, and noted that there is an interest from France as well to have a 3+1 scheme with Egypt (Cyprus, Greece, Egypt + France).

Depending on the sectors of the activities and the thematic areas of interest we cannot rule out to have interest from other countries as well, either of the region, or even beyond our geographical area. Therefore, these will be ad hoc cooperation schemes on concrete issues, he added.

He noted that this is something which the Secretariat is able to look into, based on its mandate, and propose to the Ministers or the Heals of State and Government the participation of another state on an ad hoc basis.

Zenon also said that the Permanent Secretariat is not an institution which is under the Government of the Republic of Cyprus.

“It is a supranational institution, with the sense that it receives instructions and is accountable to the leaders of each of the trilateral cooperation schemes. Therefore it has an international, interstate, regional character,” he added.

Zenon said that the Permanent Secretariat will be based in Nicosia, will consist, for at least three years, as provided in the Council of Ministers decision, by Cypriot staff and that later on they will look, in consultation with other partners of the trilateral schemes, into the rotation of its Secretary-General.

Moreover, Zenon said that three scientific partners have been employed and are working for quite a long time now preparing documents and notes, while the process to set up the necessary infrastructure is underway.

He added that there will also be a posting of secretarial staff and a messenger from other public services, and later on they will evaluate if there is need for more staff.

Zenon said that there are liaison committees of the Secretariat with the participating countries and that one representativeof each participating country (Cyprus, Greece, Egypt, Jordan and Israel) has already been appointed.

Moreover, he said that the Cypriot Foreign Ministry will soon conclude the process regarding the offices that will be rented to accommodate the Permanent Secretariat.

Pillars on which the Secretariat operates

Asked about the pillars on which the Permanent Secretariat operates and how it will support decision makingby the participating states, Zenon noted that based on the Council of Ministers decision, that was the result of deliberations of the Cyprus government and the governments of the other participating states, the role of the Secretariat will be to support trilateral cooperation schemes as regards the organisation of meetings, adding that, however, the hosting country will have the main say on this.

He also noted that the Secretariat will contribute whenever it is asked to do so, adding that its role will be to monitor the implementation of the decisions taken during the meetings, either by the Heads of State and Government or by Ministers.

Our ambition is for it to evolve into a structure or a hub of regional cooperation, he said.

As he noted the Secretariat was set up due to the need to have an institution. “We have the experience, we have seen the weaknesses, we have seen the potentials and on the basis of this experience the Secretariat was set up to be able to institutionalize the cooperation, to urge national coordinators in each country, and also to submit suggestions to the Ministers and the Heads of State and Government,” hesaid.

Zenon noted that all this should take place in coordination with each participating country so that Ministers of the Heads of State and Government will be able to decide on a proposal presented before them.

Fields of cooperation

Invited to say which are the main fields of cooperation of these trilateral cooperation schemes, Zenon recalled that the first trilateral scheme was created back in 2013 with Egypt at the initiative of Ioannis Kasoulides who was also then the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus.

He noted that the idea then was to help Egypt counter the problems it was then facing as terrorism, financial problems, and diplomatic isolation.

Following that we proceeded with the other schemes with Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine, he added.

He noted that the issue of energy has been one on which the trilateral cooperation schemes with Israel and Egypt especially have focused. Each trilateral has also its own characteristics, its own implementation pace, and its own thematic aspects, he added.

Zenon said that the issues on the agenda of the trilateral scheme with Israel concern security, defence, combating terrorism and asymmetric threats, search and rescue, energy and tourism, the environment, diaspora, start-ups and meteorology.

In the trilateral with Jordan the issues addressed concern the combating of terrorism and asymmetric threats, tourism, cultural heritage protection, agriculture and health, he added.

As regards the trilateral with Egypt he said that cooperation focuses on agriculture, tourism and cultural heritage.

“For the time being we proceed with the sectors in which cooperation is underway,” he said, noting that one of the Secretariat’s competencies is to look for new fields of cooperation in consultation with participating states.

Energy issue

Asked about the importance of the Permanent Secretariat’s operation as regards the Energy issue in the Eastern Mediterranean region, Zenon said that this is a big issue which does not concern the Secretariat’s competencies.

He added, however, that given the Ukrainian crisis, surely the EastMed project and other pipelines could move on, through the trilateral cooperation mechanisms which Cyprus and Greece have established.

“My view is that this is an issue which mainly concerns the companies. Because no country has by itself the economic and technical potential to extract and exploit gas and oil. Therefore, politically I believe that the issue must be discussed and be put forward again by the governments of Israel, Egypt, Cyprus and Greece,” he added.

Cyprus problem – Turkey

Asked about the ways in which the Secretariat and the further support of the trilateral cooperation schemes can help Cyprus in achieving its well-meant interests and its goals to solve its political problem and address the illegal actions by Turkey both on the ground and at sea, Zenon said that the trilateral cooperation schemes are not by any means military ones and are not against anyone.

“They have been set up to promote peace, cooperation, prosperity and progress in the region. No one is excluded, Turkey is not excluded, as long as it accepts the basic principles of international law, the equal participation of states, and recognises all participating states,” he noted.

Moreover, Zenon underlined that the trilateral cooperation schemes have indirectly enhanced the political and diplomatic potential of Cyprus.

He said that the countries which participate in them have problems with Turkey, and this is just another reason for Turkey to accept the principles on which these schemes operate and solve its problems through them and other procedures as well.

“We want a Turkey that is democratic and maintains good neighbourly relations, that will act according to the international law,” he added.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory.

Source: Cyprus News Agency