Cyprus News Agency: News in English (AM), 98-10-29

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From: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org.cy>

CONTENTS

[01] Cyprus - Israel - Trade

[02] Weizman - Official visit

[03] St. Petersburg - Cultural events

0955:CYPPRESS:01

[01] Cyprus - Israel - Trade

stepping stone for Israeli goods, according to Doron Abrahamy, Director of European Division at the Ministry of Industry and

Trade. He said Cyprus and Israel were working out terms of a trade accord and an agreement to avoid double taxation, and disclosed

that an Israeli company had already set up an offshore unit in Limassol in the high-tech industry. "Cyprus as a bridge with Arab countries could be very useful

to us as some do not want to deal directly with us," Abrahamy told Cypriot journalists here today. He said "negotiations have already started on a free trade

agreement to boost bilateral trade" and added that an agreement on double taxation is also on the agenda. This would help Israeli companies to set up subsidiaries in

Cyprus as offshore units, he explained He described the volume of trade between Cyprus and Israel as

"quite impressive", with 160 million US dollars of foreign trade with Cyprus in 1997. Asked what Israel can offer Cyprus, Abrahamy said as far as

business relations were concerned areas of interest to Cyprus relate to environmental projects, medical instrumentation,

software industry, agricultural technology and renewal of data and telecommunications. He said Cyprus Commerce and Industry Minister Nicos Rolandis

signed an agreement to promote mutual investment and "we hope to have a trade delegation visiting Cyprus with a minister in 1998." Referring to efforts to promote foreign investment in Israel,

he said Israel, offers tax exemption, quick promotion of pilot ideas with 50% assistance of cost in research and development to

foreign companies and help to potential investors with local bureaucracy.

CNA MM/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1330:CYPPRESS:02

[02] Weizman - Official visit Nicosia, Oct 29 (CNA) -- The President of Israel, Ezer

November, at the invitation of his Cypriot counterpart, Glafcos Clerides. The Israeli President, who will be accompanied by a 12-member

delegation and a group of journalists, arrives on Monday morning. There will be an official welcoming ceremony at Larnaca

International Airport. President Clerides will meet him at the airport. At midday, there will be private talks between the two

presidents and then delegations from both countries, headed by the two presidents, will hold official talks. Weizman will then be received by Archbishop Chrysostomos and

visit the Byzantine Museum. On Tuesday, he will host breakfast for political party

leaders and meet Spyros Kyprianou, President of the House of Representatives. The Israeli President will visit Nicosia Mayor Lellos

Demetriades, who will represent him a plaque. He will also visit old Nicosia. Weizman will attend a lunch hosted by Minister of Commerce,

Industry and Tourism, Nicos Rolandis, with entrepreneurs from Cyprus and Israel. The lunch will be followed by a tree planting and in the

evening, Weizman will host a reception in honour of President Glafcos Clerides. On Wednesday, the Israeli President and his entourage will

visit Kykko Monastery, on Troodos Mountain, and will lay a wreath at the tomb of the late President, Archbishop Makarios III. He will also pay a visit to the mountain resort of Prodromos,

and the Berengaria Hotel. He will then visit Platres and Troodos and attend a lunch

hosted by the President of the Cyprus - Israel Friendship Association, Prodromos Papavassiliou. Weizman will leave on Wednesday afternoon.

CNA EC/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1410:CYPPRESS:03

[03] St. Petersburg - Cultural events Nicosia, Oct 29 (CNA) -- A series of cultural events

island between 5-26 November. Russian Ambassador, Georgi Mouradov, told reporters here

Thursday that Russia and Cyprus attach "great significance to cultural and spiritual relations between the two countries". The events will be held during the European Limassol

Festival and "the whole of November will be dedicated to the history, culture and arts of St. Petersburg", organisers said. Mouradov said the governor of St. Petersburg, in a message

the organisers, "stressed the significance of these cultural events in Cyprus and expressed the hope they would contribute

to developing relations between the two countries". Asked if any Cyprus events will be organised in St.

Petersburg, in exchange, Mouradov said "there will be a cultural exchange from both sides, it will not be a one-way." Speaking on behalf of the organisers, Menelaos Avraam said

four groups from St. Petersburg had been invited to take part. The first will be St. Petersburg's State Ballet Theatre,

which will present the ballet "Sheharazade" and extracts from famous ballets. The second will be St. Petersburg's Virtuozo, which will

present works by Mozart, Vivaldi, Tchaikovski and Greek composer, Manos Hadjidakis. The third will be a spectacle entitled "White Nights of

St. Petersburg", which will include extracts from well-known operas and famous ballets, hymns, folklore dances and songs. Painter Irina Biroulia will hold an art exhibition at the

Pattichion Munisical Theatre, in Limassol.

CNA AA/EC/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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