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Thursday, 19 December 2024
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Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 07-11-10Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org.cy>CONTENTS
[01] FM - MIDDLE EAST TOURForeign Minister of Egypt Ahmed Aboul Gheit has assured of his countrys support for a just and viable solution of the Cyprus problem. Gheit has met in Cairo his Cypriot counterpart Erato Kozakou Markoullis, who is on a tour of Middle East countries.According to an official press release, Gheit repeated the long standing support of his country towards a just and viable solution in Cyprus, based on UN Security Council resolutions and the principles of international law. Markoullis briefed her Egyptian counterpart on the latest developments regarding Cyprus and discussed with him the Middle East issue as well as other regional and international issues of concern to both countries. She emphasised Turkeys intransigent stance as regards the implementation of the July 8, 2006 agreement which was agreed between the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot communities in the presence of Ibrahim Gambari, who served in 2006 as UN Undersecretary General. The two ministers also discussed Cyprus role in enhancing efforts for reaching a comprehensive solution of the Palestinian issue. The Cypriot Minister extended an invitation to her Egyptian counterpart to visit Cyprus. The invitation has been accepted and the exact date of the visit will be announced at a later stage. Later Saturday, Markoullis will meet with General Secretary of the Arab League, Amr Mousa, with whom she will sign a Memorandum of Understanding. As part of her Middle East tour, the Cypriot Minister has already visited Lebanon, where she held a meeting with the Prime Minister, the Speaker of the Parliament, her Lebanese counterpart and the Minister of Transport of Lebanon. This afternoon Markoullis will leave for Damascus. The Cypriot FM will also visit Tel Aviv, early December. [02] LAW COMMISSIONER - LINGUISTIC DIVERSITYA two-day meeting dealing with linguistic diversity will raise awareness of the traditional presence in Cyprus of the Cypriot Maronite Arabic language and promote mutual understanding among all linguistic groups on the island, the Republics Law Commissioner Leda Koursoumba has said in her remarks to a symposium on the protection and the promotion of the Cypriot Maronite Arabic Language. Other speakers at the symposium referred to the importance of retaining such languages and said the forceful uprooting of Maronites from the countrys northern Turkish occupied areas is the main cause threatening the Maronite Arabic Language with extinction.The symposium is an expression of the continued commitment by Cyprus to the protection of its cultural heritage and linguistic diversity, Koursoumba said. She explained that in the case of Cypriot Maronite Arabic, a language with no written form in need of codification, the difficulties are compound in that the village of Kormakitis, under Turkish occupation since 1974, and its residents who speak the language are dispersed throughout the southern government controlled part of the country. The Law Commissioner recognised that the task of protecting a language is a complex and difficult endeavor, influenced by a multitude of factors such as history, demography and socioeconomics. Addressing the meeting, Minister of Education and Culture Akis Kleanthous said people speak this language since the 8th century and comparison with other languages in the Middle East is a very interesting scientific task. The Ministry respects everybodys presence and language in our common homeland. The purpose of this meeting is to codify this language as a significant step for its preservation, he added. [03] US - CYPRUS ISSUE - GREEK AMERICANSNewly appointed US Ambassador to Greece Daniel Speckhard has pledged he would cooperate closely with the Greek American community for the resolution of issues of concern to them, which still remain unresolved, including the Cyprus problem and the issue of FYROM. Speckhard, who attended a reception in his honor in New York by the Cyprus Federation of America and the International Coordinating Committee Justice for Cyprus (PSEKA), said the US hoped to contribute to the solution of problems faced by Greek Americans and promised to work hard towards this goal.He described Greece as one of the most important countries in the world and one of the closest US allies, sharing common values. The US Ambassador acknowledged the important role played by the Greek American community in boosting relations between Greece and the US. In his welcoming address, PSEKA President Phillip Christopher referred to the Cyprus problem and said that for 33 years the problem remains unsolved and Turkey continues to occupy part of the territory of the Republic of Cyprus. He said that Greek Americans, being American citizens, believe that no compromises should be made for the sake of economic, political or geopolitical interests. [04] EU - CYPRUS ECONOMYEconomic indicators of the Cyprus economy will improve further, according to the autumn economic forecast for 2007 2009, released for all European Union member states. Cyprus public deficit is expected to reach 1% of GDP by the end of 2007 and will follow a declining trend in 2008 and 2009, reaching 0,8% and 0,6% respectively. These figures come in contrast to the Commissions May 2007 report, which projected a higher public deficit rate (1,4% in 2008 and 2009).Based on the above data, Cyprus will be able to meet the EU obligation, undertaken by all Eurozone member states, to eliminate public deficit by the end of 2010. The Commission said that Cyprus public debt will drop further, reaching this year 60,5% of GDP, 53,3% in 2008 and 49,6% in 2009, thus revising its forecast made in May 2007 that Cyprus public debt would reach 61,5% in 2008 and 54,8% in 2009. Inflation in Cyprus is expected to reach 2,0% in 2007, 2,3% in 2008 and drop to 2,1% in 2009. The Commission report says that Cyprus economic growth will reach 3,8% in 2007 and 3,9% in 2008 and 2009. Regarding unemployment, the Commission projects that Cyprus will continue in the next years to have one of the best performances in the EU. Unemployment in Cyprus is expected to reach 4,3% in 2007, 4,1% in 2008 and 3,9% in 2009. Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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