Day: August 29, 2022

Cyprus Ministry of Transport has signed a contract over the cloud hosting of its Open Transport Data National Platform, which will monitor and manage traffic.

According to a press release issued by the Ministry, the contract was signed last Friday between the Department of Public Works and Cablenet Communication Systems Ltd and amounts to €300,000 over a 60-month period.

The contract provides for the cloud-hosting of the Traffic Monitoring and Management Platform and the development of a communications network connecting 120 daily traffic volume (DTV) counters, 26 closed circuit cameras and four electronic road signs, as well as new equipment such as 40 additional electronic road signs, 170 monitoring cameras and 18 DTV counters, which will be funded by the Recover and Resilience Fund (RRF).

“The installation and interconnection of the above systems will achieve the full coverage and digitisation of Cyprus’ main urban and rural road network, offering a complete Traffic Monitoring and Management Platform,” the Ministry said.

The platform, the Ministry added, will enable the better management of transport grids by the competent stakeholders, a quick incident response and will facilitate the provision of information to drivers and privateers for the development of navigation applications as well as the provision of data to universities for research purposes.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The best way to secure the future of Cypriot Hellenism in their homeland is to continue the struggle to find a fair, viable and functional solution to the national problem, as prescribed by the relevant UN resolutions and according to the principles and values of the EU, said Interior Minister Nicos Nouris.

In a speech on Sunday at the annual anti-occupation event for Ashia village, held at the courtyard of Apostolos Andreas Church in Aglantzia, Nicosia, Nouris referred to a solution that will really unify the island and the society and create entitled promising prospects for the future”.

The President of the Republic of Cyprus has repeatedly expressed the will to resume talks, demonstrating our readiness to cultivate the necessary positive climate between the two communities,” he noted and added that unfortunately the unacceptable attitude of Turkey and their illegal actions are “directed against the sovereignty and sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus, and maintain an inactive inertia in the negotiations for the solution of the Cyprus problem.”

Turkey’s insistence for a two-state solution, its arrogant attitude and continued revisionism do not leave much room for optimism, he added.

He underlined that the government is not complacent and is working non-stop to condemn the illegal actions which contravene international law and the UN Security Council resolutions. Nouris also stressed the need to continue reverse the Turkish actions including the faits accomplis that operate in the closed area of Famagusta but also the instrumentalization of migrants.

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

Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides will have bilateral meetings with the Foreign Ministers of Estonia and Ukraine on the margins of his participation in the informal meeting of the European Union’s Foreign Ministers, which will be taking place on Tuesday and Wednesday, 30 – 31 August, in Prague, Czechia.

One of the main issues expected to be on the agenda is the proposal by Estonia and other Baltic and eastern European countries for a total ban of issuing tourist visas for Russian citizens in all member states of the EU.

Cyprus, as well as Greece, have rejected this proposal, while Germany, as well as High Representative Josep Borrell on behalf of the Commission, have also disagreed.

The informal meeting (known as Gymnich) of the members of the EU’s Foreign Affairs Council is being held in Prague, under the ongoing Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU.

The informal meeting is not expected to produce results regarding the Russian tourist visa proposal. However, international media have reported on the possibility of a proposal to suspend the visa facilitation agreement with Russia, which wouldn’t result in an outright ban but would slow down applications.

According to press release issued by the Cypriot Foreign Ministry, Kasoulides is travelling to Prague on Monday and is expected to return to Cyprus on Wednesday night.

Kasoulides will have separate meetings on the margins of the informal summit with Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

The meeting will begin on Tuesday with a discussion on EU – Africa relations and with a dinner at the Czech Foreign Ministry.

On Wednesday morning the Foreign Ministers will focus on developments regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and will then participate in a lunch organised by the Czech Presidency along with the Foreign Ministers of Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Political parties, trade unions and organisations from both sides of the divide in Cyprus stressed on Monday their determination to continue their struggle for the reunification of the country.

In a press conference at the Home for Cooperation, in the Nicosia buffer zone, representatives of the 100 organisations said they were organising a bicommunal event on September 1st, the day the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) chose to establish as an Action Day of Trade Unions for Peace, on the anniversary of the beginning of the Second World War “the day of Nazi Germany’s launched attack on humanity,” the 100 groups said in a Joint Declaration.

The General Secretary of PEO trade union, Sotiroula Charalambous read in Greek the Joint Declaration, co-signed by all the organisations, while the chairman of the Turkish Cypriot trade union DEV-IS, Koral Asam, read it in Turkish.

The declaration said that the Cypriot workers, “who, for almost fifty years have been experiencing the results of the imperialist plans of NATO and their allies, express their support to the peoples who are suffering from war, condemn the violation of international law and demand the immediate end of the war in Ukraine and a peaceful solution based on International law.”

This year’s international day of action, it said, has an even greater significance as the dramatic developments in Ukraine following Russia’s invasion have caused heavy human and material casualties, further militarisation and arms build-up, while rising tensions in the Far East enhance the risk of a generalised conflict “with unpredictable consequences for all of humanity.”

They add that the class trade union movement of Cyprus unites its voice with the workers of the whole world in the struggle for peace, “for the dissolution of NATO and all military coalitions, for a world without wars and interventions.”

They also add that the common struggle of the workers to solve the Cyprus problem and reunify Cyprus is part of the wider struggle of the peoples of the world for world peace.

“The talks process should resume as soon as possible from the point they left off in Crans-Montana since the passive passing of time, the absence of dialogue and the creation of new faits accomplis create a negative climate and lead to the final partition of our homeland,” they said.

They also said they will not accept the division of the island and reiterated their commitment to continue their common struggle for peace “and for the reunification of our homeland”, in the context of a bizonal bicommunal federation and for a demilitarised and independent state, which will transform the country “into a bridge of peace and security” for the entire region.

According to the programme of the event, on Thursday, September 1, there will be gatherings at 6.30pm, one in Eleftheria Square in the government-controlled area, and one in Kugulu Park in the Turkish occupied part of Nicosia, from where participants will march to Ledra Palace and the football pitch in the buffer zone there. The General Secretary of the WFTU, Pambis Kyritsis, will address the event. There will also be a concert by the bi-communal group ‘Let’s sing together’.

The organisations that co-organise and support the event, are political parties, trade unions, bi-communal initiatives, and non-governmental organisations. Among them, PEO, DEV-IS, the Turkish Cypriot Teachers’ Union (KTOS) and the secondary teachers’ union (KTOEOS), AKEL, the Republican Turkish Party (CTP), the Communal Democracy Party (TDP), New Cyprus Party (YKP), women’s and student organisations, professional organisations, etc.

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

The European Union’s Defence Ministers will discuss the consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on the defence and security of Europe, with the participation of senior officials of the UN, NATO and the European Parliament, during an informal meeting in Prague held under the Czech Presidency of the Council of the EU, on Monday and Tuesday, 29 – 30 August.

Cyprus will be represented by Minister for Defence Charalambos Petrides.

The Defence Ministers will have a separate discussion on the war in Ukraine, which will also be attended by Ukrainian Minister of Defence Oleksii Reznikov.

There will also be a discussion on the EU Defence Investment Gap Analysis presented by the Commission to the member states in mid-May.

EU ministers will discuss ways in which to address gaps in investment in defence, focusing particularly on the creation of synergies in the development of defensive capabilities and on the strengthening of Europe’s industrial base.

The agenda also includes the influence of Russian activity in Africa, with specific focus on the EU engagements in the region.

On the margins of the meeting, Petrides will meet with his Romanian counterpart Vasile Dîncu. The two ministers will be signing an agreement for defence cooperation.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Following the meeting of health ministers (EPSCO) on 14 June 2022, the Medical Devices Coordination Group (MDCG), chaired by the Commission, agreed a list of actions to support the capacity of Notified Bodies and preparing manufacturers to facilitate the transition to the Medical Devices Regulation – MDR EUR-Lex – 02017R0745-20200424 – EN – EUR-Lex and the In Vitro Diagnostic Medical Devices Regulation – IVDR EUR-Lex – 02017R0745-20200424 – EN – EUR-Lex Stella Kyriakides, Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, said: “Our rules on medical devices ensure that EU patients have access to safe, life-saving medical devices. The measures we are announcing today aim to address the immediate challenges related to the availability of medical devices for EU patients. By working together, we are committed to finding sustainable solutions to ensure their availability at all times and avoid shortages as a priority. Among the actions listed, the MDCG advises Notified Bodies to use hybrid audits, organize structured dialogues with manufacturers to improve the efficiency of the conformity assessment process, and provide support to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and new applicants. Manufacturers are urged to make every effort to comply with the new regulatory requirements in a timely manner. The MDCG will continue to monitor the availability of medical devices. The Commission will report to the Council in December 2022.

The European Union joins the Hague Judgments Convention

The European Union has joined today the Hague Judgements Convention, an important tool to facilitate rules-based multilateral trade and investment. The Convention sets out conditions for the recognition and enforcement of judgements in civil and commercial matters, including consumer and employment contracts, and possible grounds for their refusal. The EU’s accession will bring legal certainty and predictability for European businesses, operating in different countries, including outside the EU. Ukraine has also joined the Convention today. Didier Reynders, Commissioner for Justice, said: “Today‘s accession is the culmination of years of intense efforts. By being the first to accede to the Convention together with Ukraine, the European Union paves the way for others to join soon. The wider the accession rate of States to the Hague Judgments Convention, the more powerful an instrument it will become for the benefit of more citizens, more companies, and wider international trade and investment.” To date, six States have signed the Hague Judgments Convention. The Convention was drawn up in 2019, because diverse laws and practices around the globe made recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments challenging, if not impossible. This legal uncertainty as well as the associated costs for businesses often hindered the flow of international trade and investment, ultimately denying them justice.

State aid: Commission seeks feedback on State aid rules for assessing State guarantees on loans

The European Commission has launched today its evaluation of the State aid rules for assessing State guarantees on loans (‘Guarantee Notice’). The initiative consists of: (i) a public consultation to gather views on the Guarantee Notice from all interested parties (including individuals or academia); (ii) an expert consultation to seek feedback from interested parties directly involved in or affected by the provision of State guarantees or with relevant expertise in the field of credit risk (e.g. Member States’ authorities, market participants or non-financial companies); (iii) a request for information to Member States in order to gather consolidated data and information about the practical use of the Guarantee Notice; and (iv) a Call for Evidence seeking feedback on the main aims of the evaluation, its scope and context. The Guarantee Notice provides (i) detailed guidance on how to calculate the aid amount in a State guarantee, (ii) simplified rules for small and medium-sized enterprises (‘SMEs’), including predefined ‘safe-harbour’ premiums, and (iii) guidance on how to design aid-free guarantee schemes for companies of all sizes. By providing guidance on the assessment of State guarantees under EU State aid rules, the Guarantee Notice aims at facilitating access to finance for companies, especially for SMEs, while limiting undue distortions of competition. The Commission finds it necessary to evaluate the Guarantee Notice because, since its last review in 2008, capital requirements have been increased, market conditions and risk management practices have evolved, and Member States have developed several methodologies for granting State guarantees. The Commission will now evaluate whether the Guarantee Notice achieved its objectives and if it is still fit for purpose. To help the Commission, an external contractor will technically analyze the information provided by the Member States in response to the information request. The evaluation will also draw on the experience gathered by the Commission when enforcing the State aid rules in this area. All parties, who have an interest in the matter, can submit their views and respond to the questionnaires in any official EU language on the Commission’s Have your say portal

Statement from the Commission on clarifications discussed with Germany regarding investment protection in the context of the CETA agreement

Today the European Commission published a statement on clarifications discussed with Germany regarding investment protection in the context of the CETA agreement: “The EU and Canada are trusted and like-minded partners that share the same goals when it comes to promoting open, sustainable and fair trade. Our EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) aims to support our common objective of climate protection. In this context, the European Commission has engaged in constructive discussions with the German Federal Government to prepare a text that clarifies certain provisions in CETA. The result of these technical discussions is a more precise definition of the concepts of ‘indirect expropriation’ and ‘fair and equitable treatment’ of investors. The aim is to ensure that the parties can regulate in the framework of climate, energy and health policies, inter alia, to achieve legitimate public objectives, while at the same time preventing the misuse of the investor to State dispute settlement mechanism by investors.”

The European Commission is committed to personal data protection. Any personal data is processed in line with Regulation (EC) 2018/1725. All personal information processed by the Directorate-General for Communication / European Commission Representations is treated accordingly.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Cyprus has expressed deep condolences and solidarity to the Government and the people of Pakistan for the tragic loss of life, following the floods in the country.

“Cyprus expresses deep condolences and solidarity to the Government and people of Pakistan for the tragic loss of life, following Pakistan floods. Destruction of infrastructure and loss of crops/ livestock is alarming in the face of looming global food crisis, climate crisis”, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a post on Twitter.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Cyprus is expanding its defense cooperation with other EU member states, following a Defense Cooperation Agreement signed with Romania, on Monday.

In particular, the Agreement for the new Defense Cooperation was signed by the Minister of Defense Charalambos Petrides and his Romanian counterpart Vasile Dincu, on the sidelines of the European Union Foreign Affairs informal meeting at the level of Ministers of Defense, in Prague.

Spokesman of the Ministry of Defense, Andreas Stylianou, told CNA that the Agreement signed acts as a launch pad for cooperation with Romania and in its initial stages provides for the exchange of personnel, joint training of personnel and common military training subjects.

He added that both sides will look into the prospects for deepening cooperation on a wider level, at a later stage.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Nicosia takes in every case all necessary actions to secure the interests of the Republic of Cyprus as a sovereign state, a source has told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), asked about the navigational telex, or NAVTEX, issued by the Republic of Cyprus Joint Rescue Coordination Center, in reaction to a Turkish NAVTEX, valid from August 26 to 29, for scientific research in an area. Part of this area overlaps with the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and continental shelf of the Republic of Cyprus.

The same source noted that the Turkish NAVTEX expires at midnight tonight and that the Turkish vessel “Bilim 2” for which the Turkish navigation warning was issued, was docked until early this afternoon at a Turkish port.

They issued a NAVTEX that affects the EEZ and the continental shelf of the Republic of Cyprus, something which is illegal since they need a license from us to do such a thing, the source told CNA, adding that the authorities of the Republic monitor the situation.

The same source also noted that the issuing of a NAVTEX by the Joint Rescue Coordination Center is standard procedure in such cases, otherwise it will mean that the Republic of Cyprus gives up on its own sovereign rights.

The navigational warning issued by the Joint Rescue Coordination Center said that part of the area mentioned in the Turkish NAVTEX for scientific research is overlapping with the Exclusive Economic zone and the continental shelf of the Republic of Cyprus.

It added that this action of Turkey is illegal and constitutes a violation of the international law and maritime safety procedures and is also a criminal offence under the laws of the Republic of Cyprus.

Furthermore, it noted that the Republic of Cyprus demands from Turkey to cancel its NAVTEX immediately.

Later on Turkey issued another NAVTEX saying that “the efforts to legitimize illegal claims of the Greek Cypriot administration” through the Cypriot NAVTEX “are null and neither was nor will be accepted by Turkey”.

Moreover, it claimed that its own NAVTEX for scientific research was “valid and effective”.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37% of its territory. Turkey does not recognize the Republic of Cyprus, an EU member state since 2004.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Total sales of petroleum product in Cyprus dropped by an annual 0.7% in July 2022, with fuel sales from fuel pumps recording annual reductions for a second consecutive month, in the midst of soaring energy prices.

According to data released on Monday by the Statistical Service of Cyprus (Cystat), total sales of petroleum products in July 2022 amounted to 115,926 tonnes, recording a drop of 0.7% compared to July 2021.

A decrease was recorded in the sales of light (-38.7%) and heavy (-12.8%) fuel oil, asphalt (-22.2%), motor gasoline (-11.5%) and road diesel (-11.3%).

As part of the recovery in travel and maritime transport from the COVID-19 pandemic, an increase was observed in the provisions of aviation kerosene (60.3%) and of marine gasoil (37.9%). Annual increases were also registered in the sales of kerosene (57.4 %) and heating gasoil (8.9%).

Sales from filling stations dropped by 13.3% to 51,868 tonnes, marking an annual drop for a second consecutive month.

Furthermore, compared with June 2022, the total sales of petroleum products recorded a fall of 8.2%.

The provisions of aviation kerosene rose by 2.7% while the sales of motor gasoline dropped by 2.9% and those of road diesel by 2.7%.

The total stocks of petroleum products at the end of July 2022 rose by 2.2% compared to the end of the previous month.

During the period January – July 2022, the total sales of petroleum products increased by 18.6% compared to the corresponding period of the previous year.

Source: Cyprus News Agency