Day: February 16, 2023

Cyprus and Israel commemorated on Thursday the 74th anniversary of the closure of the concentration camps for Jewish refugees and Holocaust survivors, who fled Europe after World War II for Israel.

After World War II, thousands of Jews who survived the horror of the Holocaust boarded ships to go to Israel. However, the ships were stopped by the British and sent to Cyprus which was a British colony. There, Jewish holocaust survivors found temporary refuge on their way to their homeland after the WW2.

A total of 52,000 Jews were detained in Cyprus from 1946 to 1949 in three camps, in Karaolos, Xylotymbou and Dekelia. More than 2,000 babies were born in the former British Military Hospital, known as BMH, where today there is a military camp named “Vasiliou Kapota”. There, replicas of the wards have been erected, as well as a monument dedicated to Cyprus – Israel friendship.

The event in Nicosia, to commemorate the 74th anniversary of the closing of the last concentration camp in 1949, was attended among others by Minster of Defence Charalambos Petrides, Minister of Foreign Affairs Ioannis Kasoulides, Ambassador of Israel Oren Anolik, Chief of the National Guard Lt. Gen. Demokritos Zervakis, Bishop of Mesaoria Grigorios, ambassadors and diplomats.

Speaking at the event, the Minister of Defence said that this monument serves as a permanent testament to the long-standing Cypriot-Israel friendship and close ties between the wo peoples that were forged in the period of 1946 – 1949 when Cypriots provided as much help as possible to those refugees stranded in the internment camps in Cyprus over a period of three years.

The last internment camp closed its gates in February 1949. Given the historical importance of this chapter we decided this memorial event to take place on an annual basis, he said.

Referring to the bilateral relations, he said “I take huge pride for the level depth and robustness of our defence and military partnership with the State of Israel. On a personal level allow me to say that my commitment to the Cypriot-Israeli defence cooperation has always been unwavering”.

“I feel particularly pleased that we were able to advance significantly our strategic defence cooperation and partnership in all areas and levels, including high-level consultation and armaments,” Petrides noted.

He added that “our defence cooperation with Israel is unique and thriving one which every year reaches new heights as demonstrated by the large-scale exercise Agapinor last June. We have a strategic defence cooperation based on mutual trust and shared interest for the security and prosperity of our region which I am hopeful will become stronger in the future”.

Meanwhile, in his address, the Minister of Foreign Affairs paid tribute to the victims and the survivors of the holocaust.

“We pay tribute and honour the innocent victims of the holocaust as well as the survivors of this horrific experience and the thousands against it. Let us proclaim it once more here today: Never again”.

He said that over this three-year period Cypriots from all walks of life some of them on occasion at grave personal risk sought to be of assistance to Jewish refugees interned at the three camps which were established in Karaolos, Xylotympou and Dhekelia.

They not only demonstrated the keen sense of hospitality that is a characteristic of Cypriots but also what they strongly say was their moral duty, he said.

He recalled that more than 2,000 babies offspring of detained Jews were born at the former Military Hospital and said that preliminary work has begun to upgrade “this memorial site to a modest museum which we believe will prove of great value also for the Ministry of Education’s programmes for students in teaching the youngest generations about the holocaust.”

The Israeli Ambassador said that we are standing here today in the place where more than 2,000 Jewish babies were born to remember and honour the 52,000 Jews who were interned in the camps. We are also gathered here, he added, to honour the Cypriot people who stood by them in solidarity and support.

He said that the legendary Prodromos Papavasiliou was the person that organised and coordinated groups of people in Famagusta and Larnaca providing various forms assistance to the detainees, adding that his heroic efforts in assisting the Jewish people in the State of Israel will always be cherished and never be forgotten.

He gave a certificate of appreciation to Christakis Papavasiliou son of Prodromos Papavasiliou in honour of his father. Prodromos Papavasiliou’s legacy will always be a towering landmark in the relation between our two nations, he said.

“Today we mark 74 years from the closing of the detention camps, let us not forget that the story of the camps laid the foundations of the historical ties between our peoples let us sense the relations between the two countries have flourished and developed,” he stressed.

He thanked Petrides for turning this ceremony into an annual event and recognized and praised his leadership in promoting close and strategic relations between the security systems of Israel and Cyprus during his tenure as Minister of Defence. “I salute you for cherishing our common past and solidifying our joint future,” he said.

Referring to Kasoulides, Anolik expressed his deepest appreciation for the excellent collaboration during his term as Minister of Foreign Affairs and he thanked him for being a strong supporter of the bilateral ties between the State of Israel and the Republic of Cyprus and expressed genuine appreciation regarding regional cooperation and his hard work to implement it.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Rating agency Moody’s has said that the outcome of the Presidential elections in Cyprus “suggests the continuation of a fiscal discipline and reform progress,” noting that reunification talks may be “potentially hindered by the stricter line of smaller parties that supported the new president.”

Former Foreign Minister Christodoulides, described by the agency as independent and moderate, has won the run-off ballot last Sunday, garnering 51.9% of the popular vote, beating fellow independent candidate Andreas Mavroyiannis, a negotiator of the country’s reunification talks during 2015-17 and who the left-wing Progressive Party of Working People (AKEL) backed.

“Christodoulides’ term in office will be five years and we expect him to form a government with wide appeal,” the agency said in it is bi-weekly bulleting titled “Credit outlook.”

The agency said it expects that the new government “will comprise technocrats, members of the small centre parties that supported him, and potentially members from his former party, the ruling Democratic Rally (DYSI),” noting that “we expect the Christodoulides administration will try to maintain Cyprus’ prudent fiscal policy along with economic reform policies.”

“We expect the new administration to follow a prudent fiscal stance,” the agency added.

Recalling that harmonised consumer price inflation was 6.8% in January 2023 and averaged 8.1% for full-year 2022, Moody’s added that Christodoulides has announced that any additional support to help households and businesses with the energy and cost of living crisis would need to be targeted, “without allowing fiscal discipline to slip.”

The agency also noted that the incoming president has also argued in favour of a gradual expansion of the Cost of Living Allowance, against the more radical demands of private-sector labour associations to avoid weakening the economy’s price competitiveness.

“We expect a greater emphasis on long-term solutions to diversify Cyprus’ energy mix, which relied on imported oil and petroleum products for 83% of its total energy supply in 2021, with biofuels and renewables comprising 13%,” Moody’s added.

According to the agency, apart from focusing on the expansion of renewables, the incoming administration is focused on completing energy diversification projects, such as the Vasilikos LNG gas facility, the Euro-Asia Interconnector project (connecting the power grids of Cyprus, Greece (Ba3 stable) and Israel (A1 positive)), and fast-tracking the development of some proximate offshore gas discoveries.

Moody’s also recalls that Christodoulides’ pre-election campaign included pledges of ongoing support for the reforms package under the NextGen EU programme, as well as for the new national healthcare system, a key reform enacted by the previous administration.

The agency also recalls that Christodoulides managed to gather support from the leadership of the three small parties of the political centre and centre-left, Democratic Party (DIKO), Democratic Front (DIPA) and Socialist Party (EDEK), as well as parties and groupings that did not manage to enter Parliament.

“Crucially,” Moody’s pointed out, “Christodoulides also attracted substantial voters from the ruling, conservative DISY party: he was a DISY party member until very recently and was foreign minister under DISY party leader and outgoing President Nicos Anastasiades.”

On the Cyprus problem, the agency said the new President promised a renewed effort to resolve the long-standing Cypriot reunification talks with the goal of achieving a bizonal, bicommunal federation and pursuing the EU’s active involvement in the diplomatic resolution process.

“Nonetheless, any talks will be difficult and potentially hindered by the stricter line of smaller parties that supported the new President,” Moody’s added.

Furthermore, the agency said that “the electoral outcome of the first round of the presidential elections on 5 February was a blow to the other major candidate, Averof Neofytou, the current DISY President,” as he failed to qualify for the runoff with only 26% of the vote, compared with 29.6% for Mavroyiannis and 32% for Christodoulides.

“It was the first time that DISY had not been included in a presidential election runoff. It is uncertain whether DISY, which holds the largest number of seats in Parliament with 17 out of the 56 seats, will support the new president’s agenda,” the agency said, recalling that the party opted not to specifically align with either of the two candidates in the runoff and instead issued a call to its supporters to choose their vote freely.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The European University Cyprus was involved in a discovery that black holes are linked to dark energy in the universe, the University says in a press release.

Andreas Efstathiou, Astrophysicist, Rector and Director of the Aristarchus Research Centre at the European University of Cyprus, is working with the University of Hawaii and a team of 17 researchers in nine countries to develop a description of black holes that is consistent with observations over the past decade.

By searching nine billion years of existing data, the researchers discovered the first evidence of “cosmological coupling,” a newly predicted phenomenon in Einstein’s theory of gravity that is only possible when black holes are placed inside an evolving universe.

The team recently published two papers, one in The Astrophysical Journal and the other in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, that studied supermassive black holes in the hearts of ancient and dormant galaxies. The first paper found that these black holes gain mass over billions of years in a way that cannot easily be explained by standard galaxy and black hole processes, such as mergers or accretion of gas. The second paper found that the mass accretion of these black holes matches predictions for black holes that not only couple cosmologically, but also contain vacuum energy – material that results from compressing matter as much as possible without violating Einstein’s equations.

Andreas Efstathiou stated that “the question of the nature of dark energy is perhaps the most important unanswered question in modern physics. It is the majority, 70% of the energy of the universe. And now we finally have observational evidence of where it comes from, why 70%, and why it’s here now.”

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Cyprus President, Nicos Anastasiades, received on Thursday the credentials of the new Ambassadors of the Russian Federation and Japan to Cyprus, thanking them for the support and the principled stance of the two countries as regards the Cyprus problem and the efforts to achieve a comprehensive settlement on the basis of a bizonal bicommunal federation, within the framework of the UN Security Council relevant resolutions and the international law.

According to a press release issued by the Presidency, President Anastasiades briefed the new Ambassadors about the latest developments in the Cyprus problem and the efforts which the Greek Cypriot side continues to make with a view to create the required conditions for the resumption of the negotiating process under the UN auspices, despite the unacceptable Turkish insistence aiming to promote a two-state solution.

As it is noted, Anastasiades welcomed the new Ambassador of the Russian Federation, Murat Ziazikov, and the new Ambassador of Japan, Yamawaki Yoshio, while receiving their credentials and wished them every success to their new high duties, expressing certainty that the new government will provide them every possible help and support with a view to further enhance bilateral and multilateral relations.

Moreover he thanked them for the mutually beneficial cooperation during his term of office in the past ten years between the Republic of Cyprus, Russia and Japan, respectively, as well as for the support and the stance of principles of both countries as regards the Cyprus question and efforts to achieve a comprehensive settlement on the basis of a bizonal bicommunal federation, within the UN Security Council relevant resolutions and the international law, the press release 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. The latest round of negotiations, in July 2017 at the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana ended inconclusively.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Health Ministry is always placing a high priority on the continuous improvement of the health services offered to children and supports every effort that aims at promoting the good health of our children, Minister Michalis Hadjipantela said Thursday.

The Minister addressed a press conference where a donation was offered to the Ministry of €31,830 by the Pediatric Society of Cyprus with the aim of strengthening the Pediatric Clinics operating in the Hospitals of the State Health Services Organization across the island.

Hadjipantela said that the implementation of the largest reform of the country in the health sector, the introduction of the NHS on June 1, 2019, opened new horizons in the provision of medical care, ensuring universal access to high-level health services, through a system that is functional, efficient and financially sustainable.

He thanked the Pediatric Society for the generous offer and for the commendable work it has been carrying out over time, assuring that the Ministry will make full use of the donation, for the benefit of sick children.

The amount is the net proceeds from two musical charity events “Because we believe”, organized last September by the Pediatric Society, as part of its social contribution.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

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PRESS RELEASE – EUROPEAN COMMISSION

Defence of Democracy: Commission seeks views on protecting the EU democratic sphere from covert foreign interference

The Commission is today launching a public consultation on the upcoming initiative on the ‘Defence of Democracy’, which President von der Leyen announced in her 2022 State of the Union Address. The consultation, open until 13 April 2023, will gather views of different stakeholders on what is needed to protect the EU democratic sphere from foreign interference and bolster democratic resilience.

The public consultation will be available in all EU languages. It will feed into the ‘Defence of Democracy’ initiative, which the Commission aims to put forward before the summer 2023. This initiative will include a concrete legislative initiative to protect our democracies from entities funded by or linked to third countries and exercising economic activities in the EU that may impact public opinion and the democratic sphere. It will also aim to promote free and fair elections, to strengthen civil society and civic engagement, and to review measures already taken at EU level under the European Democracy Action Plan.

(For more information: Christian Wigand – Tel.: +32 2 296 22 53; Katarzyna Kolanko – Tel.: +32 2 296 34 44; Cristina Torres Castillo – Tel.: +32 2 299 06 79)

18 EU-supported films featured at the 2023 Berlin International Film Festival

18 EU-supported films will be presented at the 73rd edition of the Berlin International Film Festival, which started today.

‘Someday We’ll Tell Each Other Everything’, by Emily Atef, has been shortlisted under the Competition section, and will therefore compete for the prestigious Golden and Silver Bears. The other 17 films will compete for other Berlinale and independent prizes. These films have been supported by the MEDIA strand of the Creative Europe programme both in their development and distribution.

The winners of this year’s festival will be announced on Saturday 25 February during the closing ceremony.

The Commission will also be present at the European Film Market (EFM) to engage with the industry and discuss current challenges and opportunities. On Friday 17 February, during the event “Your European audience at a glance”, the Commission will present the first results of a multi-country consumer/audience research conducted over the past year focusing on the tastes and preferences of the audience on audiovisual content. The results will serve for the preparation of the “Media Outlook”, a thorough media market report to improve our knowledge base of the media sectors, that the Commission plans to publish in spring 2023.

More information on the Festival is available here.

(For more information: Johannes Bahrke – Tel.: +32 2 295 86 15; Marietta Grammenou – Tel.: +32 2 298 35 83)

Munich Security Conference: College members to discuss security and defence with global partners

From 17 to 19 February, President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen; Executive Vice-Presidents Frans Timmermans and Valdis Dombrovskis; High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell; Vice-Presidents Dubravka Šuica and Margaritis Schinas; and Commissioners Johannes Hahn, Ylva Johansson, Jutta Urpilainen will participate in the 2023 Munich Security Conference.

Close to one year after Russia launched its war of aggression against Ukraine, the Conference is an opportunity to discuss how to continue supporting Ukraine defend its country and the rules-based international order, address the global consequences of the war, and tackle global and regional security challenges.

On Friday, Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis will attend the panel discussion ‘The Future of Trade’ together with Katherine Tai, the US Trade Representative. Vice-President Šuica will attend the panel discussion ‘David on the Dnipro: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom’, as well as the panels on ‘Germany in the World’ and ‘France in the World’. Vice-President Schinas will participate in a roundtable discussion ‘From Momentum to Munition: Shifting Gears on European Defence’, as well as in the panel discussion ‘Greyzone’s Anatomy: Dissecting Hybrid Threats’. Commissioner Urpilainen will take part in the event ‘A geoeconomic watershed moment – what is needed for new partnerships between Europe and Africa?’ as well as in the panel discussion ‘It takes two to tango: North-South cooperation in a fragmented world’.

On Friday afternoon, Executive-Vice-President Timmermans will participate in the panel discussion ‘Geopolitics of the Green Transition’. Commissioner Johansson will participate in the panel discussion ‘Resetting Migration: Moving Toward Opportunities’ and deliver opening remarks at the roundtable ‘Under the influence: Disrupting Strategic Corruption’.

On Saturday, President von der Leyen will participate in the panel discussion ‘More than the Sum of its Parts: The Birth of Geopolitical Europe’. Executive-Vice-President Timmermans will participate in the panel ‘Smart Cooperation for Border Global Climate Action’. High Representative Borrell will represent the EU at the meeting of G7 Foreign Ministers convened by the G7 Chair Japan.

On Sunday, High Representative Borrell will deliver a keynote introduction and participate in a panel discussion on European Security, together with the Prime Minister of Estonia Kaja Kallas and the Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson.

College members will also hold bilateral meetings in the margins of the event. More details are available in the calendar. Audiovisual coverage will be available on EbS.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The bright planets Jupiter and Venus form these days the phenomenon of planetary conjunction as they draw closer to each other.

According to Agapios Elia, a practicing astronomer/astronomy guide from 1010 Observatory, the bright planets Jupiter and Venus offer a beautiful sight these days, and as night falls, they appear in the west with an increasingly smaller distance between them. On March 2, the two planets will be in their closest conjunction.

He said that the two planets will come close enough to each other that they will be simultaneously visible through binoculars and telescopes.

With a naked eye, the two bright planets are very easily visible and for this reason, the public is urged to observe the phenomenon throughout its duration, but especially on March 2. Earlier, on February 21 – 23, the Moon will appear to approach the two bright planets and the three celestial bodies will appear close, offering a spectacular sight.

The previous conjunction of Jupiter and Venus occurred on May 1, 2022 and was visible in the morning sky.

To observe the phenomenon, he said, it is not necessary to use special equipment, since these heavenly bodies are the brightest in the night sky and are very easily observed with the naked eye.

All is needed, he said, is an unobstructed view of the western sky.

The best time to observe the phenomenon is shortly after sunset until approximately 19:00 at night, he concluded.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Cyprus, like Germany in the past, is still experiencing the consequences of occupation, President of the House of Representatives Annita Demetriou said on Thursday.

Demetriou, who received a delegation from the German Bundestag, reaffirmed the commitment of the Greek Cypriot side to resuming talks to reach a solution of the Cyprus issue on the basis of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the United Nations.

According to a Parliament press release, the delegation is visiting Cyprus as part of their participation in a workshop of the “Robert Bosch” Foundation on “policy-making in Europe”.

Welcoming the members of the German Parliament, she talked about the excellent relations between Cyprus and Germany and their parliaments both at the bilateral level as well as within the EU and internationally, on the basis of common principles and values.

She also noted the important role of Germany in making key decisions at the European level and underlined that only with unity and solidarity can we address small and bigger challenges.

Replying to questions from the German MPs about the Cyprus issue and the efforts to solve it, the House Speaker reaffirmed the commitment of the Greek Cypriot side to the goal of resuming talks to reach a solution on the basis of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation in accordance with the relevant resolutions of the United Nations. She also said that efforts should be intensified to strengthen trust between the two communities.

Demetriou said that Germany can contribute in this direction and exert pressure on the Turkish side to abandon its policies for a two-state solution and recognition of the illegal entity in the occupied territories. This, she said, can never be accepted, as it constitutes a violation of international law and the relevant UN resolutions for Cyprus.

She underlined that Cyprus, like Germany in the past, is still experiencing the consequences of occupation, adding that with the solution of the Cyprus problem and the benefits that will arise for the two communities, Cyprus will be an example of peaceful coexistence under conditions of security and respect for human rights of all Cypriots.

They also exchanged views on other issues of mutual interest, such as the immigration problem and the energy crisis, the press release says.

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

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis welcomed Democratic Rally President Averof Neofytou’s support to newly-elected Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides to join the European People’s Party (EPP).

In a post on Twitter, Mitsotakis thanked Neofytou over his stance and described him as a “responsible political leader.”

“Averof Neofytou remains a responsible political leader who will support the new Cypriot government amid challenges. We thank him for his support over the accession of the newly-elected Cyprus President Nikos Chritsodoulides in the large EPP family,” he said.

Christodoulides, who won the run-off ballot in the Cypriot presidential elections last Sunday, will assume duties on March 1, succeeding Nicos Anastasiades, following ten-years in office.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

A social meeting between President-elect of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, and Turkish Cypriot leader, Ersin Tatar, will take place on February 23, it was announced on Thursday.

According to a statement from Christodoulides’ political office, the meeting will take place at 11:00 a.m. at the home of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Cyprus, Colin Stewart, in the UN-protected area of the old Nicosia airport.

Christodoulides had expressed his readiness to meet with Tatar as soon as possible either before or after assuming his duties and had informed him that he would also officially inform the United Nations of his intention.

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

Head of the Foreign Affairs committee of the Cyprus parliament Harris Georgiades and members Marios Mavrides, Yiorgos Loukaides, Christiana Erotokritou, Chrysis Pantelides and Christos Christou as well as MP Alexandra Attalides met Thursday with a Bundestag delegation visiting the island in the framework of a workshop by «Robert Bosch» Foundation.

An announcement by the Parliament says that Georgiades noted the very good level of relations between Cyprus and Germany and prospects of deepening the cooperation on parliamentary level through the Friendship groups in both parliaments.

The delegation was briefed on the current state of affairs as regards the Cyprus issue and the prospects for the resumption of the peace talks, in light of Turkish provocations and its claim for a two-state solution, in violation of the international law.

They also discussed the war in Ukraine and the consequences of the Russian invasion, and Georgiades noted that despite the financial losses for Cyprus, the country aligned with the EU stance for sanctions.

Cyprus has been divided since the 1974 Turkish invasion. Numerous rounds of talks under the UN aegis failed to yield results.

Source: Cyprus News Agency