Cyprus News Agency: News in English (AM), 98-11-21

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

CONTENTS

[01] South Africa - Cyprus

[02] Cyprus - Business and IT Centre

0800:CYPPRESS:01

[01] South Africa - Cyprus

Addressing around 300 members of the Pancyprian Repatriates Association consisting of former South African Cypriots and friends of South Africa in the western town of Paphos last night, Jacobs said "I always describe the strong and active Greek Cypriot community in South Africa as the most important asset in the bilateral relations between South Africa and Cyprus".

He said this is because of their deep love and loyalty towards both South Africa and Cyprus.

"The peaceful nature of the fundamental changes in South Africa is a miracle and a tribute to all its peoples and I specifically include the Cypriot South Africans," he told guests at last night's reception.

South Africa, he added, needs the constructive involvement of all its people today more than ever.

Noting that the people of South Africa "must make our new democracy work", Jacobs said "this is the spirit of the new generation of Afrikaners".

He said "in this time of economic and political turmoil in various parts of the world, there is real and concrete evidence that South Africa is on a stable course to a promising future for all the peoples of the 'Rainbow Nation'."

Jacobs said the political stability in the country is depicted by the large scale foreign investment and the fact that the new South African government never neglected the socio-economic dimension in the reshaping of the country.

Concluding, Jacobs said that "at the root of the success story of the 'New' South Africa, is the fact that she now embraces all her peoples."

CNA EC/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1015:CYPPRESS:02

[02] Cyprus - Business and IT Centre

In order to achieve this goal, the government decided Wednesday to set up two working teams which will operate under the presidency of the state Planning Bureau.

The first team, with a budget of 11,1 million pounds, will be responsible for promoting Cyprus' role as an international business hub.

The second team, which will try to establish the island as an information-technology centre, will have a slightly lower budget of 10,5 million pounds.

According to an official statement, the programme is not aiming at replacing the private sector's efforts to achieve the two goals, but only to support them.

The government calls on Cypriot businesses to seek strategic alliances with companies in Greece, Europe and the Middle East, in an effort to promote "the specialisation and internationalisation of their activities".

Cyprus must use its comparative advantages in the services sectors in order to secure its economic development, the statement adds.

Cyprus along with Estonia, Slovenia, Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic started substantive accession negotiations with the European Union on November 10.

CNA GG/MM/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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