Day: April 19, 2024

ISTANBUL: Palestine strongly condemned a decision by the US to veto a UN Security Council draft resolution Thursday demanding Palestine’s full membership in the United Nations.

In a statement, the Palestinian Presidency called the move ”unfair, unethical and unjustifiable, challenging the will of the international community.”

It emphasized that this aggressive American policy towards Palestine, its people and their legitimate rights constitutes a blatant violation of international law.

It also noted that the US veto encourages the continuation of Israel’s genocidal war against the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem.

The Presidency underscored that the veto exposes the contradictions in US policy, which claims to support a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict while preventing the international community from implementing this solution through its repeated use of the veto.

The 15-member UN Security Council gathered in New York to vote on a draft r
esolution authored by Algeria recommending the admission of the State of Palestine for UN membership.

The membership was blocked with a vote of 12 in favor and two abstentions, including the UK and Switzerland.

Before the voting, Algeria’s envoy to the UN Amar Bendjama said it is time for Palestine to take its rightful place among the community of nations, and seeking UN membership is a fundamental expression of Palestinian self-determination.

Palestine was accepted as an observer state of the UN General Assembly in 2012, allowing its envoy to participate in debates and UN organizations but without a vote.

States are admitted to membership in the UN by a decision of the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council, according to the UN Charter.

A council resolution needs at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the permanent members — US, Britain, France, Russia or China — to pass.

Palestine’s application for full UN membership comes amid a deadly Israeli offensive on the Gaza
Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas, which has killed nearly 34,000 Palestinians.

Source: Anadolu Agency

ISTANBUL: Palestine strongly condemned a decision by the US to veto a UN Security Council draft resolution Thursday demanding Palestine’s full membership in the United Nations.

In a statement, the Palestinian Presidency called the move ”unfair, unethical and unjustifiable, challenging the will of the international community.”

It emphasized that this aggressive American policy towards Palestine, its people and their legitimate rights constitutes a blatant violation of international law.

It also noted that the US veto encourages the continuation of Israel’s genocidal war against the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem.

The Presidency underscored that the veto exposes the contradictions in US policy, which claims to support a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict while preventing the international community from implementing this solution through its repeated use of the veto.

The 15-member UN Security Council gathered in New York to vote on a draft r
esolution authored by Algeria recommending the admission of the State of Palestine for UN membership.

The membership was blocked with a vote of 12 in favor and two abstentions, including the UK and Switzerland.

Before the voting, Algeria’s envoy to the UN Amar Bendjama said it is time for Palestine to take its rightful place among the community of nations, and seeking UN membership is a fundamental expression of Palestinian self-determination.

Palestine was accepted as an observer state of the UN General Assembly in 2012, allowing its envoy to participate in debates and UN organizations but without a vote.

States are admitted to membership in the UN by a decision of the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council, according to the UN Charter.

A council resolution needs at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the permanent members — US, Britain, France, Russia or China — to pass.

Palestine’s application for full UN membership comes amid a deadly Israeli offensive on the Gaza
Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas, which has killed nearly 34,000 Palestinians.

Source: Anadolu Agency

Deputy Minister for Tourism Costas Koumis said he is optimistic that tourist arrivals in 2024 will equal the numbers registered last year, despite geopolitical crisis marking the region.

Opening the Cyprus Travel Expo 2024 Koumis said the state of play in the tourism sector is marked by three negative developments, the geopolitical crisis in the region of the Eastern Mediterranean, the weak economic environment in several countries of Europe and challenges associated with the aviation sector.

‘This year is perhaps the first time since the pandemic that outside factors are not operating in a beneficial way for our country’s tourism but rather in a negative way, but I am optimistic that we will achieve our target, that is, a similar performance as last year, a year which will go down in history as a record-year in tourist revenue,’ he said.

The Deputy Minister pointed out that the data of the first quarter marked an annual increase in arrivals of 5.4% showing that this target is feasible provided of course
there are not further tensions in the wider region of the Eastern Mediterranean.’

On his part, Ioannis Papameletiou, Ambassador of Greece to Cyprus said that relations between Greece and Cyprus in the field of tourism ‘are at their strongest,’ noting that close to 600,000 Cypriots travelled to Greece last year, while Greeks visiting Cyprus in 2023 amounted to 188,000.

Greece is the most popular destination for Cypriots, accounting for 40% of the total outgoing tourism of Cyprus, he said.

The Greek ambassador stressed that the key determinant for these results is the growth in air connectivity, with six airline companies operating flights schedules between the two countries.

He moreover said that traveling flows between the two countries are expected to continue increasing in the high tourist season of July and August, during which the two countries will be connected with 155 flights per week.

Association of Cyprus Tourist Agents Vice President Christos Asprou said Cypriot agents are optimising for travel
ling this year.

‘In this year we estimate that our sector will recover significantly and this is already shown by the passenger traffic data of the first months of 2023 and the great interest shown for the summer time,’ he said.

He referred to the data by Hermes Airports, that passenger traffic surpassed 1.5 million in the first three months of this year, whereas tourist arrivals have risen by 5.4 year on year in the first quarter.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Deputy Minister for Tourism Costas Koumis said he is optimistic that tourist arrivals in 2024 will equal the numbers registered last year, despite geopolitical crisis marking the region.

Opening the Cyprus Travel Expo 2024 Koumis said the state of play in the tourism sector is marked by three negative developments, the geopolitical crisis in the region of the Eastern Mediterranean, the weak economic environment in several countries of Europe and challenges associated with the aviation sector.

‘This year is perhaps the first time since the pandemic that outside factors are not operating in a beneficial way for our country’s tourism but rather in a negative way, but I am optimistic that we will achieve our target, that is, a similar performance as last year, a year which will go down in history as a record-year in tourist revenue,’ he said.

The Deputy Minister pointed out that the data of the first quarter marked an annual increase in arrivals of 5.4% showing that this target is feasible provided of course
there are not further tensions in the wider region of the Eastern Mediterranean.’

On his part, Ioannis Papameletiou, Ambassador of Greece to Cyprus said that relations between Greece and Cyprus in the field of tourism ‘are at their strongest,’ noting that close to 600,000 Cypriots travelled to Greece last year, while Greeks visiting Cyprus in 2023 amounted to 188,000.

Greece is the most popular destination for Cypriots, accounting for 40% of the total outgoing tourism of Cyprus, he said.

The Greek ambassador stressed that the key determinant for these results is the growth in air connectivity, with six airline companies operating flights schedules between the two countries.

He moreover said that traveling flows between the two countries are expected to continue increasing in the high tourist season of July and August, during which the two countries will be connected with 155 flights per week.

Association of Cyprus Tourist Agents Vice President Christos Asprou said Cypriot agents are optimising for travel
ling this year.

‘In this year we estimate that our sector will recover significantly and this is already shown by the passenger traffic data of the first months of 2023 and the great interest shown for the summer time,’ he said.

He referred to the data by Hermes Airports, that passenger traffic surpassed 1.5 million in the first three months of this year, whereas tourist arrivals have risen by 5.4 year on year in the first quarter.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

BAGHDAD: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Iraq next week will be “out of the ordinary,” the country’s prime minister said on Friday.

Saying that “there is, for the first time, a will’ between the two countries ‘to resolve issues rather than postponing their solution,” Mohammed Shia al-Sudani also underlined that they will not allow Iraqi territory to be used as a springboard for any attacks on Trkiye.

The terrorist group PKK is known to have a long-standing presence in Iraqi territory, but Baghdad recently took a harder stance against the group.

The premier added that during Erdogan’s visit on Monday, they will look to solve the country’s water issues.

In 2019, Trkiye established a group of 51 experts to deal with the topic of water management.

Erdogan previously also underlined that the two countries should work together on water management to prevent a water crisis in the region.

Sudani has been on an official visit in US, where he went last week to hold talks.

Source: Anadolu Agenc
y

BAGHDAD: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Iraq next week will be “out of the ordinary,” the country’s prime minister said on Friday.

Saying that “there is, for the first time, a will’ between the two countries ‘to resolve issues rather than postponing their solution,” Mohammed Shia al-Sudani also underlined that they will not allow Iraqi territory to be used as a springboard for any attacks on Trkiye.

The terrorist group PKK is known to have a long-standing presence in Iraqi territory, but Baghdad recently took a harder stance against the group.

The premier added that during Erdogan’s visit on Monday, they will look to solve the country’s water issues.

In 2019, Trkiye established a group of 51 experts to deal with the topic of water management.

Erdogan previously also underlined that the two countries should work together on water management to prevent a water crisis in the region.

Sudani has been on an official visit in US, where he went last week to hold talks.

Source: Anadolu Agenc
y

Under the Commonwealth Blue Charter Cyprus is the champion country for Sustainable Aquaculture, Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Scotland said Friday, noting that Commonwealth has the collective power to influence global priorities and to take leadership on actions towards a sustainable ocean that supports the needs of all people, regardless of gender, culture, age or geography.

Speaking at a press conference after the conclusion of the inaugural Commonwealth Ocean Ministers Meeting (COMM) that took place in Cyprus, she thanked the Republic of Cyprus for hosting the COMM under the theme “Our resilient common ocean: from Cyprus to Samoa” and which was attended by ministers and officials from 28 Commonwealth countries and 12 observer organisations.

Replying to a question, she said that a number of people have been inspired by what Cyprus has done and referred to aquaculture, saying that it is something that has been generated and pursued by the private sector. We were given to understand, she added, t
hat 80% of the fish that has been grown here in Cyprus comes from aquaculture which as she said, according to a Minister ‘is absolutely delicious’. ‘So there is a business opportunity for many’ she pointed out.

The Deputy Minister of Shipping, Marina Hadjimanolis, said that today marked a historic moment for everybody especially for Cyprus, noting that it was an honor to host this significant meeting.

Replying to a question, she said that Cyprus has best practices that it can pass to other countries in matters of technology and science.

The Commonwealth SG said that “it marks exactly six years since Heads of Government adopted the Commonwealth Blue Charter – a commitment by Commonwealth countries to work together on tackling ocean issues and to take action to safeguard the ocean. That commitment was reaffirmed in 2022 when Commonwealth Heads of Government met in Rwanda and agreed to develop a Commonwealth Ocean Declaration”.

She added that during the Cyprus meeting, Ministers discussed a framework and roa
dmap for the Declaration, “which we hope will be adopted by leaders when they next meet in Samoa in October this year” and they reaffirmed the importance of collaboration, ambitious actions, and the need for financing of ocean initiatives.

In addition she noted that a three-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the Commonwealth, the Shipping Deputy Ministry of Cyprus and the Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute, to establish a Blue Charter Centre of Excellence.

The Centre of Excellence, she said, will provide support and expertise in creating policies to assist Commonwealth and other island and coastal countries on topics such as the management, protection and restoration of marine and coastal ecosystems, the prevention and elimination of marine pollution, and the sustainable use of living marine resources.

The Commonwealth SG added that several delegations spoke today about their concerns around sea-level rise and the need to recognise the permanence of maritime boundaries.

Moreover,
she referred to the various challenges, which are ocean-related, pointing out that no country can solve these challenges alone.

Under the Commonwealth Blue Charter, she said, Cyprus is the champion country for Sustainable Aquaculture and said that the Commonwealth has paved the way for accessing finance for ocean-related and other climate issues, through the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub.

“Yet we know that Commonwealth countries will increasingly need to harness science, too, in reaching fair and equitable solutions to our ocean challenges. However, access to marine knowledge and scientific capacity are unevenly distributed”, she said.

That’s why, she added, Cyprus’s offer to establish a Blue Charter Centre of Excellence is so welcome. “That focus on governance for a sustainable blue economy, sustainable aquaculture, marine research, development and innovation will help level the playing field”.

Concluding, she said that we look forward to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa in
October, another small island country – or big ocean country – where the focus is on resilience and how the Commonwealth family can collectively support each other.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Under the Commonwealth Blue Charter Cyprus is the champion country for Sustainable Aquaculture, Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Scotland said Friday, noting that Commonwealth has the collective power to influence global priorities and to take leadership on actions towards a sustainable ocean that supports the needs of all people, regardless of gender, culture, age or geography.

Speaking at a press conference after the conclusion of the inaugural Commonwealth Ocean Ministers Meeting (COMM) that took place in Cyprus, she thanked the Republic of Cyprus for hosting the COMM under the theme “Our resilient common ocean: from Cyprus to Samoa” and which was attended by ministers and officials from 28 Commonwealth countries and 12 observer organisations.

Replying to a question, she said that a number of people have been inspired by what Cyprus has done and referred to aquaculture, saying that it is something that has been generated and pursued by the private sector. We were given to understand, she added, t
hat 80% of the fish that has been grown here in Cyprus comes from aquaculture which as she said, according to a Minister ‘is absolutely delicious’. ‘So there is a business opportunity for many’ she pointed out.

The Deputy Minister of Shipping, Marina Hadjimanolis, said that today marked a historic moment for everybody especially for Cyprus, noting that it was an honor to host this significant meeting.

Replying to a question, she said that Cyprus has best practices that it can pass to other countries in matters of technology and science.

The Commonwealth SG said that “it marks exactly six years since Heads of Government adopted the Commonwealth Blue Charter – a commitment by Commonwealth countries to work together on tackling ocean issues and to take action to safeguard the ocean. That commitment was reaffirmed in 2022 when Commonwealth Heads of Government met in Rwanda and agreed to develop a Commonwealth Ocean Declaration”.

She added that during the Cyprus meeting, Ministers discussed a framework and roa
dmap for the Declaration, “which we hope will be adopted by leaders when they next meet in Samoa in October this year” and they reaffirmed the importance of collaboration, ambitious actions, and the need for financing of ocean initiatives.

In addition she noted that a three-year memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between the Commonwealth, the Shipping Deputy Ministry of Cyprus and the Cyprus Marine and Maritime Institute, to establish a Blue Charter Centre of Excellence.

The Centre of Excellence, she said, will provide support and expertise in creating policies to assist Commonwealth and other island and coastal countries on topics such as the management, protection and restoration of marine and coastal ecosystems, the prevention and elimination of marine pollution, and the sustainable use of living marine resources.

The Commonwealth SG added that several delegations spoke today about their concerns around sea-level rise and the need to recognise the permanence of maritime boundaries.

Moreover,
she referred to the various challenges, which are ocean-related, pointing out that no country can solve these challenges alone.

Under the Commonwealth Blue Charter, she said, Cyprus is the champion country for Sustainable Aquaculture and said that the Commonwealth has paved the way for accessing finance for ocean-related and other climate issues, through the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub.

“Yet we know that Commonwealth countries will increasingly need to harness science, too, in reaching fair and equitable solutions to our ocean challenges. However, access to marine knowledge and scientific capacity are unevenly distributed”, she said.

That’s why, she added, Cyprus’s offer to establish a Blue Charter Centre of Excellence is so welcome. “That focus on governance for a sustainable blue economy, sustainable aquaculture, marine research, development and innovation will help level the playing field”.

Concluding, she said that we look forward to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Samoa in
October, another small island country – or big ocean country – where the focus is on resilience and how the Commonwealth family can collectively support each other.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

ARISH: The ninth Goodness Ship, which left Trkiye with 3,774 tons of humanitarian aid supplies for the millions of needy Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, has arrived at Egypt’s al-Arish Port.

After leaving from the southern Turkish port of Mersin on Tuesday, the ship, loaded with food, baby supplies, sleeping bags, and flour provided by the Turkish Red Crescent, reached al-Arish after a 55-hour sea voyage.

After spending the night offshore, the ship entered the port in the morning accompanied by a pilot captain.

The aid materials will be unloaded at the port and transported to the Rafah border crossing into Gaza by truck.

After customs procedures, the materials will be handed over to the Palestinian Red Crescent, which will then distribute the aid to those in need in Gaza.

Nearly 40,000 tons of various humanitarian aid supplies have been so far delivered to Gaza in 13 planes and eight ships in cooperation with the Turkish Red Crescent and the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority, or AFAD.

Turkish
ambassador to Cairo welcomes ship

Welcoming the ship, Turkish Ambassador to Cairo Salih Mutlu Sen told reporters that cargo can be loaded and unloaded from the vessel rapidly.

Emphasizing the mass of aid carried, Sen said: “Our ninth ship that arrived here broke a record, carrying 3,774 tons of aid material. This is such a big number that when I was talking to my US, British, and German ambassador colleagues in Cairo, they did a double-take when I said ‘a ship of 3,000 tons is coming here and I’ll go to welcome it.’ They weren’t sure because what they’re used to is usually 30-50 tons, which is how much an airplane can carry.

“So Trkiye is really leading the world league in terms of humanitarian aid. This stems from the generosity, charity, and benevolence of the Turkish nation, our people, and the effective and sincere mobilization of organizations such as the Turkish Red Crescent, Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) and our non-governmental organizations for the people of Gaza.”

St
ating that they are coordinating with the Turkish Red Crescent and AFAD, he underlined that Trkiye aims to send at least one humanitarian aid ship to Gaza every two weeks in light of the Egyptian Foreign Ministry’s announcement on the number of trucks entering Gaza and the depletion of their stocks.

Egyptian authorities and the global community appreciate Trkiye’s contributions, he said.

‘Our hope is our aid will continue to enter in most effective, fastest way’

Since al-Arish is just 25-30 kilometers (12-18 miles) from the Rafah gate, the aid is delivered quickly, Sen said.

Stressing the importance of coordination in aid, he explained: “We’re doing this in coordination with the Egyptian Red Crescent, the Foreign Ministry, security officials, all of them. It’s no easy task, but our authorities have established such a good working system with their counterparts that it works very well when the purpose is pure.

“Our hope is that our aid will continue to enter in the most effective and fastest way because a
t the moment, the number of trucks at the Rafah gate has reached 500, which is pretty good. We hope that the number of trucks will increase a little more and that we will send aid through, that the whole world will, that they will take Trkiye as an example, that they will compete in charity.”

Thanking the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, security officials, and the Egyptian Red Crescent for their cooperation, Sen underscored: “In the final analysis, the munificence, charity and generosity of the Turkish people and their commitment to Gaza, to the victimized and innocent Palestinian people and their sensitivity towards them are above all kinds of appreciation.

“At the service of our people, we are in al-Arish as a team with the Red Crescent, the Health Ministry, AFAD and the Red Crescent to fulfill their requests,” he said.

‘Aid delivered to those in need one by one’

Stating that the humanitarian aid and war are separate issues, Sen said Israel is, under international law, obliged to open a way for humanitarian
aid materials and deliver them.

Indicating that they are following the process of delivering the aid to those in need, he said: “Here, our Red Crescent and AFAD entrust these goods to the custody of the Egyptian Red Crescent and transports them by trucks to the Rafah Border Gate.

“Security checks are carried out here by the Israeli officials. As a result of coordination, the trucks are delivered to the UNRWA (UN agency for Palestinian refugees), the Palestinian Red Crescent and the authorities on the Palestinian side. Since this place is very close and we always bring them to al-Arish, they are transferred to Gaza within one to three days, as soon as possible. There should be no doubt about this.”

Stressing that Israel also stepped up security checks for the passage of aid, Sen said: “It is out of the question that incoming goods and aid will never enter Gaza. They can rest assured. Absolutely all goods and aids are entering Gaza one by one with our team and in coordination with the Egyptian Red Crescent a
nd are being delivered to those in need. They should not worry at all.”

‘We can now safely say that 500 trucks are on their way to Gaza. The first batch of goods from our aid will enter Gaza within 24 hours and will be received by UNRWA, the UN, and the Palestinian Red Crescent,” he added.

Source: Anadolu Agency