Category: Legal Judicial

An agreement on the Imposition of Restrictions on Imports for Categories of Archaeological and Ethnological Material of the Republic of Cyprus was signed on Tuesday by the Republic of Cyprus and the USA, according to a statement of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works.

The agreement was signed on behalf of the Republic of Cyprus by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Works, Stavros Michael, and, on behalf of the Government of the United States of America, by the US Ambassador to Cyprus, Judith Garber.

In his speech, read on his behalf by the Permanent Secretary, the Minister of Transport, Communications and Works, Yiannis Karousos, conveyed the sincere appreciation of the Government of Cyprus to the competent US authorities for their ongoing efforts for the protection of the cultural heritage of Cyprus.

According to the Ministry’s statement, the Minister stressed that the commitment of the USA to contribute to the protection of the rich cultural heritage of Cyprus is proved through the Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries, which has been in force since 2002. We are particularly pleased, he added, that our request for renewal and expansion of this cooperation was accepted by the USA, and now includes in it cultural objects dating from the 11th millennium BC to items up to 100 years old.

“Unfortunately, Cyprus and its cultural heritage, tangible and intangible, continue to face the catastrophic consequences of the Turkish military invasion of 1974 and the occupation of about 1/3 of the island since then. The monitoring of online auctions confirms that Cypriot cultural objects circulate in legal and illegal antiquities markets and at auctions around the world, including the USA, and are highly sought after. Even in the areas under the effective control of the Government of the Republic of Cyprus, the looting continues despite the intense efforts to suppress it”, he underlined.

As Karousos explained, the implementation of international Agreements, such as the 1970 UNESCO Treaty, the strengthening of national legislation, as well as the conclusion of bilateral international Treaties, are at the heart of the Cypriot Government’s policies in the fight against illegal circulation of the cultural heritage of our country. In this context, the Minister thanked the United States Government for its support, saying that the United States is a valuable ally in the actions of Cyprus to end the illegal trafficking of cultural heritage objects, the Ministry’s statement stressed.

On her part, the US Ambassador to Cyprus expressed her satisfaction with the signing of the Agreement, through which the two countries have the opportunity to continue their joint struggle for the protection of the cultural heritage of Cyprus. The Ministry’s statement said that Garber noted that the current agreement is one of the many examples of cooperation between the two countries based on the common principles they represent.

In this context, she referred to the sponsorship given earlier this year by the USA to the United Nations Development Program in Cyprus, for the implementation of an educational program for children from the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities on the importance of the protection of the country’s cultural heritage.

In addition, professionals from Cyprus, the USA and Greece held a joint training seminar last month, focusing on ways to identify stolen cultural objects. In the coming months, the United States will support the actions of the Republic of Cyprus for the repatriation of Cypriot antiquities by the United States, the Ambassador said.

As the Ambassador pointed out, the United States of America recognize the value and importance of antiquities as an integral part of our past. For this reason, and respecting the principles of international law, the United States stand resolutely against those who illegally exploit its cultural heritage, thus preserving it for future generations.

The fight against the illegal trafficking of antiquities is a great challenge, said the US Ambassador, stressing, however, the determination of the two Governments to continue the joint effort, in order to preserve and protect the cultural heritage of Cyprus.

According to the statement of the Ministry, the signing ceremony took place symbolically at the Cyprus Museum, a place where some of the most representative Cypriot antiquities are hosted.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

ICCPP ODM+ Unveils Ceramic Coil Disposable and Multi-category Solution Resulted from Its Digital R&D Strategy

BIRMINGHAM, England–(BUSINESS WIRE)– ICCPP launched the full-range ceramic coil solution including disposable ceramic coil at Vaper Expo UK in Birmingham on May 27, 2022 — a new category empowered by its “Digital Transformation” strategy, marking a new era in the global vape industry.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220528005017/en/

(Photo: Business Wire)

For the first time, ICCPP exhibited as a group and showcased its branded ODM+ solution and full-range ceramic coil solution. Adopting the Gene Tree technology, ICCPP’s ceramic coil will be integrated with the ODM+ business to promote a greater evolution in the industry. The ceramic coil, ICCPP’s first product released since it jointly launched the digital strategy with SAP and PwC, is bound to become a benchmark in the global vape industry.

Breakthrough: ceramic coil solution for disposable and multiple categories

In the vape industry, the ceramic coil technology is a key indicator of technological advancement of a company. ICCPP began to engage in the ceramic coil technology in 2019 by forming a R&D team led by “Peacock Program” talents, aiming to achieve an industry-leading level with the third or fourth generation of ceramic coil, and fully surpass the peers with the fifth or sixth generation.

Committed to becoming the leader in atomization technology, ICCPP brings a natural and pleasant vaping experience to the customers with its nanocrystalline (NC) materials and technical innovation. From thick film to thin film, from wire heating and surface heating to solid heating, ICCPP’s NC ceramic atomization technology has been constantly optimized the data model of the coil and enhancing the team’s R&D strength to address the pain points in the vape coil industry. The newly launched Gene Tree thin film technology features five technical advantages, namely powder-free, improved safety, finer atomization, a longer lifespan, and an improved flavor.

As a result of the continuous endeavor of the R&D team, ICCPP recently launched the new generation of Gene Tree film technology and product applications, which, compared to the third-generation ceramic coil, has improved the flavor, increased the coil lifespan, and improved product reliability, bringing users a natural and pleasant vaping experience.

ICCPP will soon launch a disposable product equipped with the Gene Tree ceramic technology, with such features as longer-lasting flavor, more puffs, better restoration of flavor, and higher reliability, will bring revolutionary user experience, trigger a revolution in the industry, and become an industry milestone.

“Digital + technological innovation” to provide ODM + digital solution

ICCPP’s core advantages at the technical level are derived from its huge investment in scientific and technological innovation. On May 26, ICCPP announced the official launch of the “Digital Transformation Project” at its Shenzhen headquarters, becoming the world’s first major company in the vape industry to cooperate with SAP and PwC. This marks that ICCPP will lead the industry into the phase of digital transformation.

The digital strategy refers to the overall digital innovation of the company integrating R&D, manufacturing, export, overseas marketing, etc. In the future, ICCPP will create an unprecedented “digital closed loop” and new digital competitiveness by creating digital R&D, digital manufacturing, digital marketing, and digital consumer experience. The mode of “digital + technological innovation” will become ICCPP’s underlying competitive advantage, including digitization + chips, digitization + fragrance, and digitization + smart manufacturing. “The company will drive development through digitalization and create new value through digitalization.” Through digital transformation, the company aims to bring greater contributions to the industry and global consumers.

In order to develop ceramic coil, ICCPP quickly simulated the atomization effect by setting a data model and inputting parameters such as interface and size, so as to find the optimal configuration without sample production, thus accelerating product development and delivery. At present, ICCPP has a set of long-term plans for refillable and disposable ceramic coil products, and has reached cooperation intentions with at least 5 overseas major customers.

Mission of a leading going-out company: to empower global customers with technical innovation

ICCPP knows that customers in this era don’t need the traditional ODM anymore, but the branded ODM+. Therefore, the company has launched the new strategic partnership integrating brand positioning, user insight, product design, product development and after-sales, to guide customers to embrace new era of product customization.

Firstly, ICCPP promises to provide customers with the latest technology applications, and give them the same or even better technology as ICCPP’s own brands. Secondly, ICCPP shares all cutting-edge technologies with the entire industry chain in the strategic cooperation, including labs and institutes, automated factories, overseas user insights and global marketing services. This confidence of ICCPP comes from its rich and successful overseas experience and the ability to provide customers with one-stop services. ICCPP is committed to building two global platforms to empower customers: a truly open, Android-like vape technology platform, and a globalization platform based on years of overseas experience.

As the first strategic category after the digital upgrade, the ceramic coil solution can adapt to the full range of product lines. Emboding the industry’s most advanced technologies, it is set to create a new vape category, improve user experience and bring changes to the market structure. On the one hand, ICCPP ODM+ business will undergo the digital upgrade and efficiency upgrade of the whole operation system integrating market survey, R&D, product design, order, delivery, and after-sales; on the other hand, it will establish in-depth cooperation with global customers on the ceramic coil solution. So far, ICCPP has reached cooperation intentions on this ceramic coil technology with many overseas major customers. ICCPP expects to bring more surprises to global customers and restructure the market in future.

The original source-language text of this announcement is the official, authoritative version. Translations are provided as an accommodation only, and should be cross-referenced with the source-language text, which is the only version of the text intended to have legal effect.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220528005017/en/

Contacts

Media Relations: Tingkai Xu, Senior PR Manager

Mobile: 15957944779

Email: kai@voopootech.com

Source: ShenZhen Woody Vapes Technology Co., Ltd.

This material is not a CNA editorial material and CNA shall not bear responsibility for the accuracy of its content. In case you have any questions about the content, kindly refer to the contact person mentioned in the text of the press release.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The war in Ukraine and the immigration crisis were the focus of a meeting held between President of the House of Representatives Annita Demetriou and newly appointed Ambassador of Italy in Nicosia, Federica Ferrari Bravo.

According to a press release issued by the Parliament, Demetriou reiterated the support of the Republic of Cyprus towards the people of Ukraine on the basis of the principles of international law and the respect of human rights, adding that Turkey violates human rights in Cyprus for almost 49 years. She stressed that the international community can not have double standards as regards the violation of human rights by Turkey.

During the meeting, they discussed about the increasing refugee and immigration flows to Cyprus and Italy. Demetriou said that Turkey is exploiting this problem by sending illegal immigrants to Cyprus through the territories it occupies since 1974, on which the Republic of Cyprus exerts no control.

Finally, they both expressed willingness to further enhance inter-parliamentary ties through exchanges on all levels.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Each year, on average, 630 new breast cancer cases in women and five in men are recorded in Cyprus, Health Minister Michalis Hadjipantela said on Wednesday in his address at the event to mark 20 years since the establishment of Europa Donna Cyprus that is launching a campaign for legislation ensuring Cancer Survivors’ Right to Be Forgotten and access to financial credit services.

The Minister said breast cancer is a major cause of death globally and of diminished quality of life for women, stressing that it is the duty of all decision-making centers to act so that all women in Europe have equal opportunities as regards participation in systematic screening programmes, and receive the most appropriate treatment, but also have a strong support network.

He referred to his Ministry’s breast cancer screening programme, that offers free mammograms to all women between the ages of 50 and 69, while, he said, it is now planning on expanding this to cover all women between 45 and 69.

Hadjipantela also said many women have been able to fully recover from breast cancer thanks to the screening programme, that contributes to early detection. He also referred to the state-of-the-art digital mammography equipment introduced in the programme but also the Breast Centre at the Nicosia General Hospital which offers a holistic approach and treats each breast cancer patient according to their needs.

EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety, and founding member of Europa Donna Cyprus, Stella Kyriakides, in a recorded message, welcomed what has been achieved so far by Europa Donna Cyprus but also the commitment, determination and courage of all those who participated “in this great journey”.

Referring to the EU actions for the prevention and treatment of breast cancer, Kyriakides said that an important action of Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan is the Right to be Forgotten.

The Commissioner said it was an “inalienable right” of every cancer survivor, to have the right to access to financial credit services, without any discrimination.

The EU, she said, calls on the Member States to guarantee, by 2025 at the latest, the Right to Be Forgotten to all cancer survivors, ten years after the end of their treatment and five years, for those diagnosed before the age of 18. She said other EU states such as Belgium, France, the Netherlands, Portugal and Italy have legally ensured this right, while Luxembourg has entered into a special agreement with insurance companies to provide insurance for cancer survivors.

The President of the Board of Europa Donna Cyprus, Mary Perdiou, said they launched today a campaign aiming at a new law ensuring that cancer survivors will be able to have access to insurance coverage a number of years after their diagnosis and, by extent, be able to secure financial credit services.

Hadjipantela said he would take initiative, in cooperation with other competent Ministers, for expediting procedures for the preparation of such a bill.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Bounced cheques worth €438,000 were presented to Cyprus banks in April, according to data announced by the CBC on Wednesday. This is the largest monthly value of bad cheques presented at least since 2020, and it corresponds to more than half of the total amount of bad cheques presented throughout 2020.

In January 2022 the total amount of bounced checks presented was €149,558, in February € 93,811 and in March €64,852. In total, in 2021, the bounced cheques were worth €933,945, and €741,700 in 2020.

According to the CBC data, the number of individuals and legal entities registered in the preliminary list from January to April 2022 amounts to 81, while 69 persons were registered in the Central Information Registry (CIR) during the same period.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The long-standing ties between Cyprus, Israel and Greece, their close cooperation in areas of strategic importance, as well as the role of the diaspora organizations of the three countries in the US were highlighted during today’s visit of Greek-American and American-Jewish organizations to Cyprus, where they met with the Presidential Commissioner.

The Presidential Commissioner, Photis Photiou, welcomed the delegation of representatives of the Greek American organizations AHEPA, AHI, as well as the American Jewish organizations B’nai B’rith and of the Conference of Presidents of American Jewish Organizations, who are on a mission to meet with officials and organizations in tripartite cooperation countries, Greece, Cyprus and Israel.

The visit took place after a pause of two years, due to the coronavirus pandemic, and included meetings with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ioannis Kasoulidis, as well as a visit to the Tomb of Makedonitissa and the Cyprus-Israel Friendship Monument at the “Vassilis Kapotas” Camp at the former BMH.

In his statement after the meeting at the Presidential Palace, the Presidential Commissioner spoke of a productive and interesting discussion on all matters. He referred in particular to what was discussed regarding the crucial role of the diaspora of the three countries in the promotion of national issues in important decision-making centers. “We are united by historical ties, common values and traditions, as well as common goals and aspirations regarding our future course,” said Photiou.

He explained that the Cyprus-Greece-Israel cooperation on diaspora issues contributes to the further strengthening of relations between the three countries, which “aims to promote peace, security and stability in the Eastern Mediterranean region,” he said.

Photiou thanked the diaspora organizations for their support to Cyprus and for their efforts to resolve the humanitarian problem of the missing persons. “On this occasion, I would like to reaffirm that Cyprus is strongly opposed to any actions or anti-Semitic rhetoric,” he concluded.

Jimmy Kokotas, President of AHEPA, said that after Cyprus, the delegation will visit Israel and Greece, in order to strengthen the framework of cooperation between the three countries, “and see what changed in the past two years and what opportunities exist to bring more parties in. There are many seats at our table, we welcome people and countries to fill those chairs of friendship and respect, and mutual cooperation for the common goals of peace, common interests, democracy”, he said.

He also added that, after the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, the issues of energy, agriculture and how the three countries can support each other, should be examined going forward, “to improve the lives of a lot of the people and contribute to an improvement of society as a whole”.

Dianne Lob, Chair of the Conference of Presidents of Major American-Jewish Organizations, said: “The 3+1 is really critical, we believe in support of democracy in the region, it really is a force for stability”. She added that the aim is for these organizations to contribute through ”economic cooperation, security cooperation and broad cooperation between these three counties”.

Daniel Mariaschin, CEO of B’nai B’rith, said relationships between the three countries “are natural, because for over 150 years the Jewish and Hellenic communities in the United States have lived side-by-side in many cities”. He reaffirmed the intention of the organizations to strengthen the relationship of the countries in the strategic sector, as well as in sectors such as economics and tourism.

Nick Larigagis, President of the American Hellenic Institute (AHI), which was founded on the occasion of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 and since then has been intervening with politicians in Washington to restore freedom and peace on the island, as part of the EU, as he said. The strategic role of the three countries is extremely important, not only for themselves, but also for the region itself, for maintaining peace and stability and ”that also serves the interests of USA”, he said. “Cyprus, Greece and Israel combined are countries that are West oriented, democratic and value oriented” and ”they provide the front-line states for promoting peace and stability”.

Visit to the Cyprus-Israel Friendship Monument at the site of the former BMH

During the visit of the delegation to the Cyprus-Israel Friendship Monument at the former BMH, Photiou, representatives of the diaspora organizations, as well as Christakis Papavassiliou, President of the Cyprus-Israel Business Association, whose father, Prodromos Papavassiliou was closely linked to the activities and lives of Jewish Holocaust survivors found in British government camps in Cyprus during the period 1946-49, said a few words.

In his greeting, Photiou stressed that the site of the monument has a special historical significance, both for the Jews and the Cypriots. “We pay a humble tribute to the survivors of the Holocaust, on the occasion of the 73rd anniversary of the closure of the Jewish concentration camps in Cyprus,” said Photiou.

He also said that the interaction between the two peoples dates back to ancient times, to be develop today into a “dynamic relationship between Cyprus and Israel, with strategic cooperation”. He stressed that the benefits of this relationship are found in youth, entrepreneurship, education and culture, as well as in diaspora organizations. “It is more than obvious that the people of Cyprus and Israel share the same democratic values, family and social values, as well as similar cultural characteristics”, he added.

Finally, he stressed that Cyprus, Israel and Greece are “predictable and credible US allies in the region”, while geographical proximity puts them in the same position in the face of common challenges.

On his part, Jimmy Kokotas stated that 2,200 Jewish children were born in the area of the British Military Hospital (BMH) during the period 1946-49 and that to them, to their parents and to the Holocaust survivors who remained in the British camps in Cyprus during this period, the Cypriots offered comfort, support and solidarity.

“The survivors odyssey, born out of an unspeakable crime against humanity, was given hope to go on, thanks to the humanitarianism and compassion shown by the people of Cyprus”, he said, adding that therefore, this monument is a symbol of the friendship between the two countries.

“Let us hope and pray, that our children and our children’s children will face a more peaceful world, one that is better and safer and less hateful”.

Daniel Mariaschin of the B’nai B’rith organization, in his greeting, said that the camps of the British administration in Cyprus were not a very pleasant place for the survivors of the Holocaust, who had just escaped a huge catastrophe, but at that time many Cypriots supported them, while there are reports that many helped them escape, in order to reach Palestine, where the state of Israel was to be established. “In the local Cypriot citizens who helped them”, these Holocaust survivors ”saw the first glimmer of humanity that they had seen since 1939, so we are grateful to those Cypriots, who reached out” and ”we will never forget it”, he concluded.

Christakis Papavassiliou briefly highlighted this largely unknown aspect of the history of Cyprus under colonialism in his greeting, referring to memories of the action of his father, Prodromos Papavassiliou, who sided with the Jews held in English camps for 30 months, from 1946 to 1949.

According to Papavassiliou, his father, as a young idealist and active member of the labor movement in Cyprus at the time, found it paradoxical that Great Britain, which had fought against Nazism during World War II, had set up concentration camps for the Holocaust survivors in Cyprus, forbidding them to move to Palestine, in order for Britain to safeguard its geostrategic interests.

That is why when Jews began to organize their daily lives in the camps, he was among the Cypriots who rushed to help. Although there are no official records of the escapes, Papavassiliou said that the tunnels under the barbed wire of the camps and the memories of the locals who helped, testify that many escaped.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

The need to stop the war in Ukraine and to continue joint efforts to support the refugees was stressed by the President of the House of Representatives Annita Demetriou, who visited refugees hosted in the region together with women presidents of EU parliaments on Wednesday 20 April.

As Demetriou said, “in these moments there is no room for many words, we spoke with these people, with these children, mostly women and children are here in this refugee reception centre. Poland deserves warm congratulations for the structures it has created to be able to accommodate these people.”

“Everyone’s wish is the same, that they return to their homes, that they are reunited with their families. Many children are here unaccompanied or with only one relative, women without their husbands, parents, friends, and they just want to return to their country in safety”, the Speaker stressed, adding that the responsibility of the parliaments is great “so that we can not only support them, but to guide things with political decisions in the right direction, to stop this atrocity and support these people”.

“I never thought that in 2022 we would be experiencing such scenes, the numbers here in Poland are huge, we are talking about almost 3 million refugees who are hosted in Poland alone and of course they are spreading all over the world without knowing when it will stop, how long it will last and in what conditions they will return to their homes, if they are able to do so,” she said.

Demetriou also said that “reason and peace must prevail, war must stop and some people must realize that they cannot use the power of weapons, these kinds of atrocities to exploit people,” while calling on Russia to stop the invasion, as well as those who are trying to exploit these people: “Various incidents have been said to be happening, either regarding human trafficking or even child trafficking. All of this is very worrying for us. The Vice-President of the European Parliament is here with us, there will be protection mechanisms in place so that all these people can be protected and we will certainly do our bit in this direction.”

Finally, the President of the House said that “we need to support these people and above all not to lose this common effort, this common complex in which we are all moving together against this great atrocity”.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Cyprus is expecting 90 weekly arrivals from alternative tourism markets, as a result of the policies put forward by the Deputy Ministry of Tourism for a sustainable and resilient tourism industry, Deputy Minister, Savvas Perdios said on Tuesday, during a round table discussion at the 12th Economic Forum, in Nicosia.

Perdios spoke about tourism policies which aim at economic, social and environmental sustainability, and stressed efforts to differentiate Cyprus’ image from that of the Greek islands, which are mostly known as summer destinations. “Cyprus does not want to be Greece”, he said, as he explained the need to promote Cyprus as a year-round destination, with authentic experiences, rich culture and history, as well as interesting activities in touch with nature.

He also mentioned that a strategic goal is to spread the benefits from the tourism industry throughout the entire country, not just the seaside areas, as Cyprus can no longer be considered as a destination solely for its sunshine and its coastline.

Perdios also said that another goal is to increase the expenditure per capita by each visitor, by offering a larger variety of options, that will also encourage tourists to stay longer in Cyprus. He explained that, following the pandemic, people have turned to slow tourism and there was a shift in the type of tourists in general, with visitors asking to be in touch with the local community, to enjoy authentic experiences and enjoy the natural environment.

The measures that provide support to remote communities, offer incentives in relation to alternative tourism and create local labels for products, sites and experiences, said the Deputy Minister. As a result, he went on, this year there are 40 weekly flights from Germany, 20 from France and 30 from the Scandinavian countries. Competent authorities hope that flights from destinations, such as these, will cover the gap created in Cyprus’ traditional markets due to the war in Ukraine and will support a sustainable future for the local industry.

Source: Cyprus News Agency

Cyprus continues to be affected by high concentrations of dust on Tuesday, according to measurements from ground Stations of the Air Quality Monitoring Network operated by the Department of Labour Inspection.

A relevant announcement urges the public, and particularly any vulnerable groups of population (children, older people, and the infirm) to avoid circulating in open spaces until the observed episode has elapsed, as the small size of respirable particles in dust may have negative effects on human health.

Employers are also urged to take appropriate measures (organizational and/or technical) after assessing any risks that their employees may face while working in open spaces, and it is recommended that workers in such spaces use appropriate means of personal protection.

Source: Cyprus News Agency