Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 01-10-21

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From: The Cyprus Mail at <http://www.cyprus-mail.com/>

Sunday, October 21, 2001

CONTENTS

[01] Cyprus 'could be LPG exporter to the EU'

[02] Tents put up as 30 more cross from the north

[03] Ban leaves door open to clone organs

[04] Four remanded after dud credit card spree

[05] Nikiforos ends with night-time tank assault

[01] Cyprus 'could be LPG exporter to the EU'

BY 2006 not only will Cyprus be using natural gas to produce electricity, it could also be exporting liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to the European Union, Commerce and Industry Minister Nicos Rolandis said yesterday.

He was speaking after a meeting in Cairo on Friday that he and Electricity Authority (EAC) George Georgiades had with Egyptian and Syrian oil ministers.

The talks had been set up to define the maritime boundaries between Cyprus and Egypt and Cyprus and Syria for the exploration of undersea crude oil and natural gas deposits, and to examine how to supply natural gas to Cyprus from Egypt.

A realistic time-frame was also discussed, so when the final decision to go ahead with the project is reached, it can be carried through quickly and efficiently, Rolandis said.

The meeting decided to have experts from all three countries delineate the offshore economic exploitation zones that would allow them to tap into deposits freely without impinging on a neighbouring country's reserves, he said.

Egypt, with more than 100 years'experience in crude oil and natural gas, has already suggested ways in which Cyprus can take advantage of its natural energy deposits.

So far the government has not been forthcoming in giving details of where it believes these energy resources are, although mapping and exploration experts have already been recruited to examine the question in detail.

A second meeting will take place between the three Ministers in November or December in Syria, followed by a third meeting in Cyprus at the beginning of the New Year.

"This is to ensure that a decision concerning the export of Egyptian natural gas to Cyprus via an underwater pipeline from the Syrian port of Baniyas is reached by the summer of 2002, if the EAC's natural gas supply is to be satisfied by 2006,"Rolandis explained.

Egypt, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria signed a $1 billion deal in January to export Egyptian gas to the Middle East through pipelines. Cyprus would then use a link up to the Syrian take-off point via an underwater pipeline, as it is the closest to Cyprus.

Natural gas is being used more and more in combination with other fuels to improve their environmental performance and decrease pollution.

By making the switch from crude oil for the production of electricity in Cyprus to natural gas it will be complying with the European Union directives on the use of this environmentally friendly energy resource as well as saving money, since it is cheaper.

"Of course natural gas will not only be used by the Electricity Authority. It will also be used in industry and households in several regions with the possibility of putting it to transport uses in the future, as is the case in other countries,"Rolandis said.

He said he and his Egyptian and Syrian counterparts had examined the idea of promoting Cyprus as an energy resource area.

Rolandis said that with Cyprus'accession into the EU by 2004, it will able to trade with other EU members without obstacles and binding commitments.

If by that time Cyprus is receiving Egyptian natural gas via the Syrian underwater pipeline, it will not only be able to use it for internal consumption, but will also be able to set up natural gas liquefaction centres and export the resulting LPG to other members, he said.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[02] Tents put up as 30 more cross from the north

THE influx of Turkish Cypriot gypsies crossing over from the occupied areas continued yesterday with 30 more arriving in Dhekelia and 60 tents being put up in a soccer field at the village of Menoyia in Larnaca to house their growing numbers.

The latest group - seven men, six women and 17 children - arrived at 8am, bringing the number of gypsies who have crossed from the north this week to 93.

Shortly before midday yesterday, crews began putting up tents in a football field in Menoyia village, which it is thought will be used to house the latest group and any others who may follow.

Larnaca authorities on Friday erected four tents outside Kophinou to shelter 27 gypsies who arrived that morning.

Local authority chairman Yiannis Loutsios visited the campsite and protested to the Larnaca district deputy officer after he dound there was only one toilet. He was assured that the arrangement was temporary.

The gypsies staying at the camp complained to journalists who visited the site and asked for food and drink, along with milk for the children.

Ayshe Topakoglu complained that the authorities had given her only £40 and would not let her go to Stavrokkonou in Paphos to join her children.

Reports said yesterday that work will start in the next few days to repair abandoned Turkish Cypriot houses in the villages of Ayios Theodoros and Tochni in order to house the gypsies.

The government announced this week that gypsies will have to accept accommodation wherever it is given to them, and could not demand to be transferred to particular areas, usually in Paphos or Limassol, as they have done in the past.

On Friday Interior Minister Christodoulos Christodoulou said that gypsies were free to settle wherever they chose but at their own expense, and that they could not expect the government to pay for it.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[03] Ban leaves door open to clone organs

PLANS to ban human cloning in Cyprus will not rule out the possibility of cloning individual body parts, according to Health Minister Frixos Savvides.

The Cabinet approved a proposal banning human cloning, as well as research on embryos produced by in-vitro fertilisation, at its meeting on Wednesday.

Savvides told the Sunday Mailthat the plan aimed to bring Cyprus into line with the Amsterdam Protocol, which the government has signed but not yet ratified.

The bill is subject to approval by the House of Representatives.

We made this move for ethical reasons. Cyprus signed the Amsterdam Protocol in 1999, which rules that the cloning of humans must be banned in all EU member states and candidate countries,minister said. But we have not ratified the protocol yet, meaning that we can't stop anyone from carrying out such a project in Cyprus by legal means.

The development comes after the recent visit to Cyprus of Dr Panayiotis Zavos, who has said he plans to clone a human within the next few months in a Mediterranean country.

Savvides noted that the government bill provisionally banned the cloning of body parts because Cyprus did not have the scientific knowledge and means required to carry out such projects.

However, the plan does not rule out the filing applications for exemptions in this domain. This way we keep our options open, so that if another country such as the UK provides us with the necessary technology we will then be able to clone body parts and help people who need transplant operations,said.

The minister said the bill had been drafted by two specialised committees appointed by the government, one dealing with the legal aspect and the other with bioethics.

These committees represent different groups because they are made up of scientists, lawyers and geneticists. So the Cabinet decision was unanimous - - no one raised any objections,said.

Savvides did not know when the House would vote on the anti-cloning bill, but he believes it will be approved.

I don't imagine that anyone would defy it, because as I have said, the bill has been drafted by real experts,said.

He added that an independent bioethics committee would be set up to advise the government on these issues.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[04] Four remanded after dud credit card spree

Kyriakos Economou, Savoulla Kitieus, Aristos Georgiou and Christina Christofi, aged 22 to 25, were arrested after a JCC manager noticed that false credit cards had been used in Nicosia and Limassol from October 15 onwards.

On Friday there was another shopping spree, with expensive clothes, jewellery and perfume bought by credit card. The police had set a trace on the credit cards and secured descriptions of the alleged perpetrators.

Economou and his fiance Kitieus were arrested first and police told the court they found a fake credit card and valuables on Economou. The duo have allegedly admitted their involvement and Economou named Georgiou as his accomplice.

Economou, Kiteus and Georgiou were remanded in custody for eight days, and Christofi was remanded for five days.

Georgiou denies any involvement in the crimes.

Police have found more than 20,000 worth of stolen valuables in an apartment.

Economou has confessed to bringing 15 fraudulent credit cards with him to Cyprus, police said.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[05] Nikiforos ends with night-time tank assault

According to the battle scenario, the National Guard had to attack and recover land lost to the enemy in a previous engagement.

The attack began with live artillery and mortar fire along with anti-tank missiles launched from Gazelle helicopters against 'enemy tanks'.

The barrage was followed by a tank assault against hills occupied by the 'enemy'.

President Glafcos Clerides, Defence Minister Socratis Hasikos and other state and foreign officials watched the exercise.

The exercise was completed last night in the Larnaca area with a night assault by the National Guard's Russian-made T-80 tanks equipped with night vision optics.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

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