Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 10-01-25

Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

CONTENTS

[01] CHRISTOFIAS CYPRUS ISSUE TALKS

[02] DOWNER INTENSIVE TALKS

[03] CYPRUS FM EU - COUNCIL

[04] CYPRUS AIRWAYS CHARTERED FLIGHTS

[01] CHRISTOFIAS CYPRUS ISSUE TALKS

Our objective is not to end the negotiations, President Christofias stressed here today, pointing out that the target should be the successful outcome of the negotiations and getting closer to a solution of the Cyprus problem.

Speaking on his return to the Presidential Palace after the end of the first day of the second phase of the intensive talks, between him and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat, at the residence of the UN Secretary General`s Special Representative in Cyprus Tayie Brook Zerihoun, President Christofias said on Monday they had mainly tete-a-tete meetings.

A sincere effort is made by both sides, in order to reach new convergences on the issue of governance and power sharing. It is neither an easy task, nor a hopeless one, he said, adding that they will continue tomorrow.

Replying to a question, President Christofias said that what is necessary at the moment is patience and insistence on the target. We are determined to continue by insisting, in order to reach more convergences and to proceed to the rest of the issues, he added.

Our target at present is not to end the talks, this should never be the objective. The goal must to see the negotiations succeed and to get close to a solution of the Cyprus problem, he stressed.

I wish and I hope this to be understood in the domestic front as well, he concluded.

President Christofias and Mehmet Ali Talat have been engaged in direct negotiations since September 2008 with a view to solve the problem of Cyprus, divided since the 1974 Turkish invasion. On Monday they began the second round of the intensive talks.

[02] DOWNER INTENSIVE TALKS

Speaking after Monday`s meeting, the UN Secretary General`s Special Adviser on Cyprus Alexander Downer said ``the two leaders met most of today in a tete-a-tete session and they have authorised me to say that they had a very friendly meeting or series of meetings. They have had a very significant exchange of ideas. Tomorrow morning they will be meeting again in a plenary session and they will be discussing these ideas more broadly with the plenary group,`` he added.

Replying to questions, Downer said ``they focused predominantly on governance and power sharing issues`` and that ``they spent some time talking about the broader issue of the negotiations.``

[03] CYPRUS FM EU - COUNCIL

During the meeting of the General Affairs Council the Spanish Presidency presented its six-month priorities programme, which includes among other issues the promotion of the financial resurgence and the European sustainable development, preparing the future EU strategy for 2020, the implementation of the Lisbon Strategy, the strengthening of the EU foreign policy and the promotion of the EU citizens rights and freedoms.

During the meeting of the External Relations Council the Ministers discussed the situation in Haiti after the recent earthquake. They reviewed the situation in the country and EU action so far as regards the provision of humanitarian help and the adoption of measures regarding the medium-term and long-term needs for the restoration and reconstruction of the country.

[04] CYPRUS AIRWAYS CHARTERED FLIGHTS

A CA press release says that the company has signed an agreement with Royal Holidays tourist organisation for these flights, which are scheduled to begin on July 4 and end by August 30. Aircraft will carry 16,000 passengers to various destinations in Greece, Alexandroupoli, Santorini, Mykonos, Kavala, Corfu, Skiathos, Samos and Rhodes.

In the framework of this agreement, Cyprus Airways will carry out additional chartered flights to destinations in Italy (Rome, Milan and Venice), in Spain (Barcelona and Madrid) and in the Czech Republic (Prague). The tourist resort of Sharm El Sheikh has also been included in this programme. All flights will be conducted from Larnaka International Airport.

Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article