Day: August 22, 2022

The Cyprus Composite Leading Economic Index (CCLEI) recorded a year-over-year decrease of 2.4% in July 2, 2022 following the year-over-year decrease of 1.5% recorded in June 2022, based on the recent and revised data.

According to Economics Research Centre of the University of Cyprus, the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, the high inflation, and the growing uncertainty, are reflected in the negative year-over-year growth rate of the CCLEI in July 2022.

More specifically, the Economic Sentiment Indicators (ESI) in the euro area and Cyprus worsened in July 2022 compared to July last year, with the climate weakening mainly in the consumption sector. At the same time, the international Brent Crude oil price which remained at high levels in July 2022, also contributed to the negative year-over-year growth rate of the CCLEI. The impact of high energy costs is also reflected in the temperature-adjusted volume of electricity production, which worsened in July 2022 compared to July 2021, contributing also to the negative year-over-year growth rate of the CCLEI.

In contrast, most of the CCLEI’s domestic components contribute to the restraint of the CCLEI’s drop – and therefore to the rise of the Cypriot economy, recording an acceleration in their growth rate in July 2022 compared to the corresponding month in the previous year, despite the difficult international economic climate.

In particular, the growth rate of total property sales contracts, the value of credit card transactions, the growth rate of tourists’ arrivals, as well as according to preliminary data, retail sales volume, have accelerated.

In summary, the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine and all its related implications continue to burden the growth prospects of the international and, by extension, the Cypriot economy – a fact indicated by the negative year-over-year growth rate of the CCLEI in July 2022.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Male individuals seen on photos that were published recently are included in the missing persons’ list, according to a first assessment made, Presidential Commissioner Photis Photiou said on Monday.

He was replying to press questions after the Cabinet meeting that took place at the Presidential retreat in Troodos.

Photiou said that pictures confirm the barbaric stance displayed by the Turkish troops adding that what is important is to locate their burial sites.

According to Photiou, there is some information on burial sites in occupied Lapithos but went on to clarify that there is nothing concrete right now.

He said that all evidence is being evaluated by governmental authorities, calling on Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots to come forward and give any information they might have. He said that every little detail or evidence might be extremely important for the Committee on Missing Persons (CMP).

The Commissioner also said that it is important for the international community to show interest in the issue, that is clearly a humanitarian one and not political, as it does for the missing in Ukraine.

Photiou said that the majority of the parents of the missing persons are no longer alive adding that their spouses and siblings are also passing away. He noted that 48 years after the Turkish invasion we are still searching for the fate of more than 750 of the missing persons, pointing out that time is our biggest enemy. He also called on the international community to exert pressure on Ankara to cooperate.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory. Since then, the fate of hundreds of people remains unknown.

A Committee on Missing Persons 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 492 Turkish Cypriots and 1,510 Greek Cypriots, who went missing during the inter-communal fighting of 1963-1964 and in 1974.

According to statistical data published on the CMP website by August 1, 2022 out of 2002 missing persons 1,185 were exhumed and 1,027 were identified. Out of 1510 Greek Cypriot missing persons 735 were identified and 775 are still missing. Out of 492 Turkish Cypriot missing persons 292 were identified and 200 are still missing.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The Greek Cypriot side remains committed in creating those conditions that will lead to the resumption of the UN peace talks for the reunification of the island, the Cyprus Foreign Ministry says.

The MFA issued a press release on Monday following statements made by the so-called foreign ministry in the occupied areas. In the press release the MFA notes that the illegal regime in the island’s occupied areas operates in the logic of misinformation, fake news and propaganda.

The situation in Cyprus is a result of the Turkish invasion of 1974 and the continued occupation of the northern part of the island, the Foreign Ministry says adding that this action is by definition illegal and violates the international law.

It notes that it is the Turkish invasion that spread havoc and destruction and that continues for 48 years to keep the island and its people divided.

The MFA notes that as a result of the Turkish invasion, the Turkish Cypriot leadership became a political branch of Turkey today, condemning the Turkish Cypriots themselves and preventing their reunification with their homeland.

Commenting on the regime’s statement about the invasion taking place for restoration of the constitutional order, the MFA notes that if this is the case, why didn’t Turkey withdraw from Cyprus and continues to illegally occupy 37% of its territory.

MFA also points out that the Government of the Republic of Cyprus, as the only internationally recognized Government of the country and being the only State in Cyprus, represents and will continue to represent the whole of Cyprus and its people.

The only arguments that lack legal sufficiency and are contrary to the international Law are the arguments of the Turkish Cypriot leadership and the “foreign minister” Tahsin Ertugruloglu, the MFA says.

It also underlines that both the UN Security Council and the international community do not recognize the illegal structure that he leads, but have urged all UN member states to recognize the Republic of Cyprus as the only state on the island and to avoid any interaction with the illegal and separatist entity.

The MFA notes that the Greek Cypriot sides keeps working for the resumption of the negotiations to solve the Cyprus issue on the basis of the Resolutions of the UN Security Council.

It also points out that the only realistic option for the Turkish Cypriot leadership is to start thinking and acting in an honest and truthful manner adding that until then, the Greek Cypriot side will continue to act rationally and lawfully on the basis of the international law building the conditions for security and prosperity for all the residents of Cyprus.

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. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Innovation is critical to navigate the twin green and digital transitions and to secure the EU’s strategic autonomy. The New European Innovation Agenda[1], adopted by the European Commission in July, aims to unlock Europe’s innovation potential, and ensure its leading role on the global innovation scene, so that it becomes a place where deep-tech innovation creates cutting-edge solutions across the continent.

This is the result of close cooperation with our stakeholders, innovators, who are willing and capable to lead on the new wave of innovation: deep-tech innovation. They are telling the world that Europe has the competitive advantages to become the global powerhouse for deep-tech innovations and start-ups for the next generation of researchers, founders, and innovators to create and scale-up in Europe.

The New European Innovation Agenda emphasises our determination to seek solutions to the most pressing societal and economic challenges. Its economic, business, and social impact will be felt everywhere because deep tech ventures aim to provide tangible solutions to our most complex challenges.

Successful deep tech ventures use a mix of talents to tackle a challenge, including scientists, engineers, entrepreneurs. They are at the centre of a complex innovation ecosystem that also includes governments, academic institutions, venture capital, big enterprises. In 2020, the team of BioNTech and Pfizer brought the first COVID-19 vaccine from genetic sequence to market in less than a year, demonstrating the strength of this ecosystem. Even while these companies accomplished remarkable achievements at an unprecedented rate, they benefited from the efforts of numerous others in the ecosystem.

As shown by the fact that 97% of deep tech ventures contribute to at least one of the United Nations’ sustainable development goals, their focus is on deep, fundamental challenges. This is why, they are called ‘deep’ innovations. Typically, they generate physical goods rather than software. In fact, 83 percent of deep-tech start-ups are developing physical products. They are transforming the innovation equation from bits to bits and atoms, bringing data and computational power into the physical world.

The New European Innovation Agenda represents a significant advancement in the innovation ecosystem of Europe. It makes it possible for the EU to act decisively with five flagships of 25 concrete actions.

The first flagship initiative concentrates on attracting private institutional investors to build well-developed financial and capital markets by expanding the European Scale-Up Action for Risk Capital (ESCALAR), proposing a Listings Act, and implementing specific measures to support women investors.

The second flagship is focused on supporting deep-tech innovation through experimentation spaces and public procurement. Experimentation facilities at universities that could be utilised in collaboration with deep-tech start-ups. The proposed regulatory sandboxes will help the EU to keep up with the rapid evolution of technology, allowing deep-tech breakthroughs to be evaluated and then marketed in the EU.

The third flagship aims to accelerate and strengthen innovation in a genuine pan-European innovation ecosystem across the EU, as well as bridge the innovation gap. It will establish and connect regional deep-tech innovation valleys in up to 100 regions, establish ‘Innospace’ as a one-stop shop for all European innovation ecosystem players, double the number of hydrogen valleys in the European Union, as well as launch Scaleup 100 initiative to assist the 100 most promising deep-tech start-ups in becoming unicorns[2].

The fourth flagship initiative ensures the development and movement of vital deep technology talent inside and to the EU. It will develop 1 million high-tech experts in fields such as new materials, batteries, synthetic biology, aerospace, and quantum. It will support female entrepreneurship and attract global talent through an innovative matching tool. In addition, new mechanisms, such as the European Network of Innovative Higher Education Institutions, which was recently launched at the Education and Innovation Summit, will be used to ensure close ties between education and innovation.

The fifth flagship effort focuses on the production and utilisation of comprehensive, comparable data sets and a common data repository that may inform EU-wide policies at all levels. The initiative will also develop European definitions for startup, scale-up, and deep-tech innovation.

We are looking for a close cooperation between the Commission and the Member States so that European innovation takes a leading role in addressing the present and future global challenges. This agenda is a call for action and we are determined to make it concrete.

We encourage all Member States and regions to build on our proposals and work with the European Commission and stakeholders to mobilise investments, ensure favourable framework conditions and implement necessary reforms. We also invite universities, being at the crossroads of research and innovation, to take an active role in its implementation, especially through the promotion of horizontal and entrepreneurial skills.

From our side, we will continue engaging innovators, entrepreneurs, and citizens more actively in the discussions, enabling them, promoting ideas, and being more responsive to societal demands. It is crucial that every region in Europe benefit from it.

Only together we will be able to achieve the objectives of the New European Innovation Agenda for establishing a truly pan-European innovation ecosystem where no one is left behind by using Europe’s unique talents, intellectual assets, and industrial capabilities in a united effort.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Turkey’s stance creates deadlock which undermines prospects for peace in Cyprus and in the wider region, said on Sunday the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Interior, Costas Constantinou.

Speaking at a memorial service for the hero of the 1974 Turkish invasion, Ioannis Tsagaris from Dimes, Constantinou added that after the representations made by the President of the Republic, the Greek Cypriot side is expecting that with the involvement of high-level UN Secretariat officials and the relevant contacts, the UNSC will be able to promote procedures to discuss the bold confidence building measures the government has submitted, on equal terms, far from blackmail, threats and unreasonable demands.

Representing the government at the memorial service, he said Turkey’s attitude in trying to shush the horrendous crime of invasion and occupation, in conjunction with the aggressive and illegal actions it carries out in the coastal area and territory of the Republic of Cyprus and especially in the fenced off area of Famagusta, is leading to deadlock.

The steadfast struggle for a sincere discussion with the Turkish Cypriot side, on the basis of international law, the UN resolutions and the acquis communautaire, impinges on the firm Turkish intransigence and its provocative stance which promotes the divisive fait accompli it nurtures in the occupied north, Constantinou noted.

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.

President of the Republic, Nicos Anastasiades, conveyed a proposal on Confidence Building Measures through a letter to the Turkish Cypriot leader and the UN, last May, including provisions for the operation of the airport, located in Turkish-occupied Tymbou, under the UN, and the return of legal residents to Varosha, the fenced off part of Famagusta.

The proposed package of measures also provides for European Commission involvement in trade through Famagusta port and the implementation by Ankara of the Additional Protocol, allowing Cypriot-flagged vessels to access ports in Turkey. An escrow account for revenues from hydrocarbon activities, to be accessed by the Turkish Cypriot community is also proposed, provided that Cyprus and Turkey delineate their exclusive economic zones. The Turkish Cypriot side dismissed the package, proposing instead a set of “cooperation proposals” between two “states” in areas such as electricity, renewable energy, water and hydrocarbons.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

In 2021, 41% of households in Cyprus enjoyed high-speed internet coverage compared with 70% on average in the EU, according to data released by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

Cyprus had the second lowest coverage in fixed very high capacity network (VHCN) connections among EU member states, after Greece and right before Italy.

Eurostat defines fibre connections or other networks offering similar bandwidth as VHCN connections.

Coverage both in the EU and Cyprus improved compared to 2013, when only 16% of the EU had high speed internet coverage. In Cyprus that percentage was at 0% in 2013, and started developing in 2018 (0.5%), 2019 (10%) and 2020 (26%).

VHCN connectivity also improved in low settled areas according to Eurostat (low settled areas are defined as having fewer than 100 inhabitants per km2). Between 2013 and 2021, the share of households in low settled areas with fixed VCHN connection increased from 4% to 37% across the EU.

The share of households in low settled areas with fixed VCHN connection in Cyprus was at 22.4% in 2021, having increased compared to 2019 (the first year for which coverage is recorded at 16.6%) and to 2020 (19.5%).

Among member states, Malta recorded high-speed internet coverage for all households (100%), followed by Luxembourg (96%), Denmark (95%) and Spain (94%).

In contrast, fixed high-speed internet connections were the least widespread in Greece (20%), Cyprus (41%) and Italy (44%).

In low settled areas, the most widespread coverage was reported in Malta (100%), followed by Luxembourg, Denmark and the Netherlands (all 79%).

Meanwhile, the least widespread coverage in low settled areas was reported in Greece (0%), followed by Czechia (7%) and Finland (12%).

In 2021, the European Commission set a 2030 target of achieving gigabit connectivity in all EU households and 5G coverage for all populated areas.

Considerable progress has already been made in the rollout of fixed very high capacity network (VHCN) connections across the EU.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Cyprus is reeling from the success of its champion, Marios Georgiou, who won Cyprus’ first gold medal at the European Gymnastics Championships in Munich.

Georgiou earned a 14.400 for the title on the high-flying horizontal bar, while Lithuania’s Robert Tvorogal, silver, and Spain’s Joel Plata, bronze, rounded out the podium.

President of the Republic Nicos Anastasiades, in a tweet on Sunday afternoon described the victory as a “huge and historic success” which is an honour for Cyprus.

Speaker of the House, Annita Demetriou tweeted “Cyprus is at the top of European sports” after Marios Georgiou’s historic success. “Thank you Marie for making us proud”, she added.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

To commemorate the Europe-Wide Day of Remembrance for the victims of all totalitarian and authoritarian regimes tomorrow, President von der Leyen issued the following statement:

“On 23 August, we honour the memory of the victims of totalitarian and authoritarian regimes, in Europe and beyond. Today, on the 83rd anniversary of the signature of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, this date carries a special significance. This year, Putin brought the horrors of war back to Europe, along with the reminder that peace cannot be taken for granted.

The painful memory of the past is not just a distant recollection, but has found an echo in Russia’s illegal and unjustified war against Ukraine. We are inspired by the courage of those who then stood up to injustice, and we express our respect and support for the many men and women who are forced to do it again today. Ukrainian people are giving their lives to protect the values on which our Union is built.

Today more than ever, we stand united against the Russian state-controlled propaganda that distorts history, spreads conspiracy and punishes those who oppose it. We will continue with determination our work to counter disinformation. And we will ensure that those who stood against totalitarianism will not be forgotten.

This day also reminds us that Europe was built to protect peace, promote democracy, the rule of law and ensure the protection of the universal rights and freedoms. Our Union was created for us, Europeans, to steer away from war and oppression. Freedom from totalitarianism and authoritarianism is at the heart of the European Union, which is built on peace, the rule of law and democracy.

We will continue to stand, united, for these fundamental values. We will continue to stand with Ukraine, for as long as it takes. We will not rest, until you prevail.”

Background

Celebrated since 2009, the Europe-Wide Day of Remembrance for the victims of all totalitarian and authoritarian regimes is an occasion to keep alive the memory of the victims.

The European Commission supports projects across Europe which address the history of totalitarian crimes and encourage remembrance. Building on the Europe for citizens programme 2014-2020, the new Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme supports remembrance actions on the causes of totalitarian regimes, in particular Nazism, but also fascism, Stalinism and totalitarian communist regimes.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Total imports and exports of goods have marked an increase, according to the Statistical Service of Cyprus, with the European Union being the main source of supply of goods to the island.

According to the “Intra & Extra EU Trade Statistics (by commodity and country)” for January – May 2022, total imports of goods (from EU Member States and from third countries) in January – May 2022 amounted to €4.468,9 mn as compared to €3.294,2 mn in January – May 2021, recording an increase of 35.7%.

Total exports of goods (to EU Member States and to third countries) in January – May 2022 were €1.511,7 mn compared to €1.028,4 mn in the same period of 2021, registering an increase of 47.0%.

The trade deficit was €2.957,2 mn in January – May 2022 compared to €2.265,8 mn in the corresponding period of 2021.

The European Union was the main source of supply of goods to Cyprus with a share of €2.780,4 mn of total imports, while imports from all other European countries totalled €381,2 mn in January – May 2022. Imports from the rest of the world amounted to €1.307,3 mn.

Exports to the European Union accounted for €424,2 mn, while exports to all other European countries for €162,4 mn in January – May 2022. Exports to the rest of the world amounted to €925,1 mn.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

“Those who stood against totalitarianism will not be forgotten,” said European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the occasion of August 23rd, the Europe-Wide Day of Remembrance for the victims of all totalitarian and authoritarian regimes, pointing out that painful memories have found an echo in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“On the 83rd anniversary of the signature of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, this date carries a special significance. This year, Putin brought the horrors of war back to Europe, along with the reminder that peace cannot be taken for granted,” she said.

“The painful memory of the past is not just a distant recollection, but has found an echo in Russia’s illegal and unjustified war against Ukraine,” Von der Leyen underlined.

“We are inspired by the courage of those who then stood up to injustice, and we express our respect and support for the many men and women who are forced to do it again today. Ukrainian people are giving their lives to protect the values on which our Union is built. Today more than ever, we stand united against the Russian state-controlled propaganda that distorts history, spreads conspiracy and punishes those who oppose it,” she added.

“This day also reminds us that Europe was built to protect peace, promote democracy, the rule of law and ensure the protection of the universal rights and freedoms. Freedom from totalitarianism and authoritarianism is at the heart of the European Union, which is built on peace, the rule of law and democracy,” she underlined.

The Europe-Wide Day of Remembrance for the victims of all totalitarian and authoritarian regimes was first held in 2009. The European Commission stresses in its press release that it supports projects across Europe which address the history of totalitarian crimes and encourage remembrance, in particular as regards to Nazism, but also fascism, Stalinism and totalitarian communist regimes.

Source: Cyprus News Agency