Day: December 14, 2022

European Union citizens remain steadfast in confirming the EU’s support to Ukraine after the Russian invasion of the country, with 74% approving of this support, according to the European Parliament’s Autumn 2022 Eurobarometer survey.

This support varies between member states, with Cyprus ranking fourth from the end of the list (53%). The last place is shared by Greece and Bulgaria (48%).

The highest support levels have been recorded in Sweden (97%), Finland (95%), the Netherlands (93%), Portugal (92%), and Denmark (92%).

Citizen support for concrete measures taken by the EU – such as sanctions against the Russian government or financial, military or humanitarian support to Ukraine – continues to be equally high at 73%. Cyprus is third from last with 48% while Greece is the last country, with 46%.

Asked which values the European Parliament should defend as a matter of priority, democracy (36%) is mentioned most frequently, followed by the protection of human rights in the EU and worldwide (29%) and freedom of speech and thought (28%).

Most respondents in Cyprus said that the European Parliament should focus on human rights (44%).

The survey also shows that the impact of the Russian war in Ukraine is felt clearly by European citizens. Because of the war and its consequences, close to two thirds of EU citizens believe that their life will change (65%), which is an increase of 4 percentage points compared to April/May 2022.

At the same time, citizens see the real value of being part of the European Union, with 72% of Europeans saying that their country has benefited from being a member of the EU. The corresponding percentage in Cyprus is close to the EU average, at 68%.

The European Parliament’s Autumn 2022 Eurobarometer was carried out by Kantar between 12 October and 7 November in all 27 EU member states.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The job vacancy rate in the 3rd quarter of 2022 was 2.2%, while the job vacancy rate in the previous quarter and the 3rd quarter of 2021 was 2.7% and 2.4% respectively, according to data published by the Statistical Service of Cyprus.

The number of job vacancies in the 3rd quarter of 2022 reached 9,174. The number of job vacancies increased by 44.3%, or 2,816, compared to the same quarter of the previous year where the number was 6.358. Compared to the 2nd quarter of 2022 the number of job vacancies decreased by 1,939, or by 17.4%.

The largest job vacancy rates in the 3rd quarter of 2022 were observed in the Sectors of Accommodation and Food Service Activities, 4.6%, Transportation and Storage by 4.5%, Water Supply, Sewerage, Waste Management and Remediation Activities by 3.5% and Information and Communication by 2.7%.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The top UN official and Head of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) Colin Stewart, hosted on Wednesday morning at the United Nations in Nicosia, the Greek Cypriot Negotiator, Menelaos Menelaou, and the Turkish Cypriot Special Representative, Ergun Olgun, to discuss ongoing matters that concern Cyprus.

Menelaou and Olgun also recognized their collaboration in 2022 and agreed to continue the important work in 2023.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Cyprus’ Foreign Ministry calls on Azerbaijan to fully restore traffic via the Lachin corridor as well as energy supply, to avert deteriorating the humanitarian situation in Nagorno Karabakh.

A Foreign Ministry announcement expresses concern over the information concerning the disruption in the Lachin corridor, which resulted to a blockade for Nagorno Karabakh residents and an interruption in the region’s supply chain.

“Concerns are intensified by information about a disruption in natural gas supply,” the announcement adds.

“The Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Cyprus calls on Azerbaijan to immediately proceed with fully restoring the traffic and energy supply in order to avert a further deterioration in the humanitarian situation in the region,” it concludes.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Cyprus Foreign Ministry has welcomed the adoption of the EU Council Conclusions on Enlargement, which is the outcome of the negotiations between EU member states, noting that an important innovative element of this year’s Conclusions is the call on Ankara to stop any actions that could potentially lead to the upgrading of the secessionist entity in the occupied areas and are therefore contrary to UN Resolutions 541 and 550.

“This reference is included for the first time in EU Council Conclusions and is considered to be of paramount importance in light of Turkey’s efforts to upgrade the status of the secessionist entity,” the Foreign Ministry stressed in a press release.

It added that the references to Varosha are considered particularly important, as illegal actions are again condemned and Ankara is called upon to reverse its illegal actions in the fenced off area of Varosha and to fully respect Security Council Resolutions 550, 789, 1251.

“The Council accurately underlines the state of affairs in relation to Turkey, highlighting the lack of progress in its EU accession process. At the same time, it repeats the responsibilities and obligations arising from its institutional obligations vis a vis the Republic of Cyprus,” the Foreign Ministry noted.

It said that the Conclusions are particularly critical of Turkey, since they confirm the EU’s commitment to finding a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus issue based on the agreed basis of the Bizonal Bi-communal Federation, in accordance with the relevant Resolutions of the UN Security Council, in line with the European acquis and the principles on which the EU is founded. “The Council even calls on Turkey to contribute in the above direction,” the Foreign Ministry noted.

Furthermore, it said that the Council also expresses EU’s strong disappointment on Turkey’s non-alignment with EU’s restrictive measures against Russia, but also with Ankara’s foreign policy which is distancing from the Union’s political priorities, especially those related with the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy.

In addition, the latest Decisions of the European Council regarding the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean are underlined, including the one of June 2022, where the European Leaders once again expressed their concern about the continued provocative moves and the hybrid rhetoric of Ankara against member states, the Foreign Ministry added.

At the same time, it noted, Turkey is once again called upon to implement all its obligations vis a vis Cyprus, i.e. recognition of the Republic of Cyprus, normalization of relations, full implementation of the Additional Protocol for the Customs Union.

With regard to immigration, the Council recalls Turkey’s obligations – as recorded by the European Council – to fully implement and without discrimination the 2016 EU-Turkey Declaration on immigration vis-à-vis the Republic of Cyprus, the Ministry said, adding that another important new element of this year’s Conclusions is the reference to Turkey’s obligation to align its visa policy with the EU.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. Varosha, the fenced off section of the Turkish occupied town of Famagusta, is often described as a ‘ghost town’.

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. UN Security Council resolution 789 (1992) also urges that with a view to the implementation of resolution 550 (1984), the area at present under the control of the United Nations Peace-keeping Force in Cyprus be extended to include Varosha.

The Turkish Cypriot leadership announced in July 2021 a partial lifting of the military status in Varosha. A few months earlier, on October 8, 2020, the Turkish side opened part of the fenced area of Varosha, following an announcement made in Ankara on October 6. The UN Security Council called for the reversal of this course of action, while the UN Secretary General, in his latest report on his mission of good offices in Cyprus, reiterated his concern over developments in the fenced-off area, noting that the position of the UN on Varosha remains unchanged. The EU also expressed grave concern.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades is in Brussels to take part in two high level EU summits.

On Wednesday President Anastasiades will take part in the ?U-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit, celebrating the 45th Anniversary of their dialogue partnership.

On Thursday he will take part in the European Council summit.

On the agenda for discussion are the Ukraine/Russia issue, energy and economy, security and defence, the southern neighbourhood and external relations.

The President returns home on Friday.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

A yellow warning was issued on Tuesday afternoon by the Department of Meteorology, for local thunderstorms today.

The warning, which is valid from 3:00 am until 3:00 pm, says that showers and local thunderstorms are expected to affect the area.

It is noted that the rain rate is expected to range between 35 and 50 millimeters per hour.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The “PHAETHON” proposal for the creation of a Centre of Excellence in Green and Sustainable Energy has secured the highest score in the EU, Deputy Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy said on Wednesday.

The Cyprus’ proposal has been successful in participating in the competitive programme of the European Union for Research and Innovation (RandI), “Horizon Europe”, specifically in the context of the programme “Teaming for Excellence”, a Deputy Ministry press release said.

The proposal which is coordinated by the University of Cyprus and Professors Constantinos Christofides and George E. Georghiou, secured a total funding of €15 million, and an equal amount of national funding, as well as significant funding from the private sector, for the upgrade of the existing “FOSS Research Centre for Sustainable Energy” of the University of Cyprus, into a Centre of Excellence in the field of green and sustainable energy, it added.

The consortium of the “PHAETHON” proposal further includes the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Cyprus Seeds, the Technical University of Denmark and the University of Groningen of the Netherlands.

In particular, research activities of the “PHAETHON” Research and Innovation Centre of Excellence for Intelligent, Efficient and Sustainable Energy Systems, “will focus on the development of solutions and applications that encounter a wide range of contemporary global energy challenges, and holistically target technological, socio-economic, political and environmental aspects.”

According to the Ministry, the main pillars of PHAETHON constitute green development, sustainable energy, storage systems, green hydrogen technologies and the development of intelligent energy systems, in alignment with the European Green Deal policy goals for a climate-neutral Europe by 2050.

The Ministry’s press release underlines that the Cypriot proposal obtained the highest ranking in the evaluation with a score of 14.5/15, same score with another proposal, out of 110 proposals which were submitted at a European level. “This rewarding distinction provides evidence of the high level of excellence of the academic and research community of our country, and further reflects the state’s commitment and effective intervention towards the establishment of Cyprus as a peripheral centre of research, innovation and entrepreneurship,” the Ministry notes.

Deputy Minister of Research, Innovation and Digital Policy, Kyriacos Kokkinos, extended his congratulations, noting that this is an additional commendable success of Cyprus, which has made significant steps towards its development into a dynamic society of knowledge. “Our top priority”, the Deputy Minister noted, “is the exploitation of the momentum created, and throughout the support of the progress and sustainability of all the Centres of Excellence currently in operation in our country, with a long-term and substantial benefit both for the Centres and for the economy and society of Cyprus.”

Currently, there are already six Centres of Excellence in operation in Cyprus, which were created in the context of the two previous calls of the “Teaming” programme, placing Cyprus in the first place in Europe, having secured 7 out of 38 in total Centres of Excellence that were funded to date.

The “Teaming for Excellence” programme aims at bridging the gap between countries, through the development of new collaborations and scientific networks for the creation of new Centres of Excellence or for the radical upgrading of existing ones.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The German Ambassador to Cyprus, Anke Schlimm, attended on Wednesday a concert of the bicommunal children´s choir, an event featured in the framework of the “Imagine” project, according to a press release issued by the Embassy.

As it is noted, Germany firmly believes that the promotion of contact and dialogue between students and teachers from the two communities is of great importance in order to advance mutual understanding, tolerance and respect. Today’s delightful event has once again shown how cultural activities can build important bridges towards peacebuilding.

“Imagine” is supported by the German Government and encompasses the choir as well as a multitude of peace education activities, bringing together Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot students and teachers. The project aims to promote trust and tolerance between the two communities.

Since 2017 the German Federal Foreign Office has been supporting the educational programme “Imagine”, implemented by the Association of Historical Dialogue and Research (AHDR) and the Home for Cooperation, under the auspices of the bi-communal Technical Committee on Education and with the support of the United Nations peacekeeping Force in Cyprus. As from the beginning of the project, more than 6000 students and 700 teachers have participated in joint activities, according to the press release.

The German Embassy said it will continue to support “Imagine” and the AHDR in order to facilitate encounters of Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot students and teachers at the Home for Cooperation. “The praiseful feedback of the participants in the “Imagine” project encourages the German Embassy in its determination to continue the programme, thus strengthening ties across the divide and between the two communities,” the Embassy noted.

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

Source: Cyprus News Agency

British High Commissioner to Cyprus, Irfan Siddiq expressed his country’s readiness to deepen its cooperation with Cyprus in the maritime and marine sectors.

He was speaking after a visit to the Cyprus Marine Maritime Institute on Wednesday on the occasion of the CMMI’s cooperation with the Southampton Maritime Institute.

In his remarks, he praised the CMMI, noting “it’s an exciting and innovative body that’s clearly focusing on really important areas such as decarbonization of the shipping industry, marine conservation.”

These are also huge priorities for the UK, he said, adding the UK has a lot of expertise in the field and that’s clearly evident in the way that the Institute has really set up links with the Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute.

These links, he said, “are really important for us, because we want to encourage the cooperation and the development in these sectors. I think it’s a real opportunity for us to deepen our cooperation in this area, but also to show the priority of these fields, particularly the green agenda and conservation.”

The British High Commissioner said that given that after the UK’s exit from the European Union, there have been some new barriers to education opportunities for Cypriot students in the UK, they are “thinking about ways that we can create new links between UK education institutions and bodies in Cyprus to continue to offer those opportunities, which is hugely valuable and important.”

He said the work done at the CMMI “in some ways, is even more advanced than in the UK, particularly in the links between industry and academia, and commercialisation of all the research and innovation, and we are so keen to support this and support this area of UK- Cypriot cooperation and achievement.”

On his part, Zacharias Siokouros, CEO of the Institute, said that they have a close cooperation with the High Commission as the Southampton Maritime Institute is one of the founding partners of the CMMI.

He said both institutes work very closely and “we look forward to this relationship with the British High Commission to Cyprus continuing further because there are many areas where Britain is active in marine and maritime matters and there are many opportunities for Cyprus as well.”

Siokouros said during a meeting recently in Southampton between the Mayor of Larnaca and his British counterpart, they agreed for closer cooperation between the two cities.

Asked whether there are any plans for the CMMI to cooperate with other Universities and research centres in Britain, Siokouros said that “there is a programme currently running with several partners from England.”

“We look forward to continuing and strengthening this cooperation,” he added.

Source: Cyprus News Agency