Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 10-06-12

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

CONTENTS

[01] PACE CONFERENCE CAVUSOGLU - GAROYIAN

[02] HOUSE PRESIDENT PACE CONFERENCE

[03] TOURISM MAY - INCREASE

[01] PACE CONFERENCE CAVUSOGLU - GAROYIAN

Speaking at a press conference with President of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Cyprus Marios Garoyian, after the European Conference of Presidents of Parliament wrapped up its works in Limassol, Cavusoglu said he established very good personal relations with Garoyian and said that he looked forward to meeting him again when he returned to Cyprus for an official visit.

Garoyian said Cyprus and its people await the support of the participants, especially concerning the support of their rights, for a solution of the Cyprus problem, adding that Cyprus and its people are entitled to enjoy the same rights as all states and peoples of Europe.

Opening the press conference, Cavusoglu said ``this Conference was very successful indeed,`` adding that ``over 50 presidents and vice presidents of parliament have attended this event and confirmed that the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is the largest pan-European parliamentary forum.``

He noted that ``with all this diversity, we have managed to speak the same language, the language of democracy, plurality and human rights, the language of our deepest convictions.``

Cavusoglu said ``it was in this spirit that we approached the two very important themes chosen for our conference,`` namely ``Rights and Responsibilities of the Opposition in a Parliament`` and ``National Parliaments and International Human Rights law: Implementation of the principle of non-discrimination.``

``Not surprisingly, we have all spoken in favour of these principles but there is a long way from the general acceptance to the concrete application and implementation, and that is where I see the main value of this Conference. We could learn from each other the best practice and learn from our mistakes,`` he pointed out.

Furthermore, he thanked Garoyian for hosting the Conference, noting that they established ``very good personal relations.``

``I look forward to meeting him again when I will come back here for my official visit, hopefully this autumn,`` he added.

Replying to questions, Cavusoglu said ``the Council the Europe and the Parliamentary Assembly fully support the ongoing negotiations and peace process on the island, and we hope that they will reach everlasting peace and solution.``

To other questions, Garoyian said it was a great pleasure that Cavusoglu was in Cyprus and co-chaired the Conference, adding that ``cooperation was excellent and there was very good coordination from the beginning till the end.``

``Cavusoglu will visit Cyprus officially. I have sent him an invitation to visit Cyprus and this visit will take place,`` he added.

Asked about the absence of Turkey from the Conference, Cavusoglu said he was in Cyprus as the President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe`` and was not in a position to answer that question, and thus referred journalists to the Speaker of the Turkish Parliament.

Closing the press conference, Garoyian said that during the Conference ``we focused, with a great sense of responsibility, on issues concerning mainly human rights and, on the basis of PACE principles and declarations, with sought ways to support and safeguard human rights.``

``We also dealt with issues concerning the role and the responsibilities of the parliaments, the role of the ruling parties, and mainly the role of the opposition in a democratic parliament,`` he said.

He also expressed certainty that the Conference ``has made us even better ambassadors of human rights.``

Garoyian added that Cyprus and its people await the support of the participants, especially concerning the support of their rights, ``in order to at last see the Cyprus problem reach a just, functional and viable solution.``

``Cyprus and its people are entitled to enjoy the same rights as all states and peoples of Europe,`` he concluded.

The next Conference will take place in Strasbourg, in 2012.

[02] HOUSE PRESIDENT PACE CONFERENCE

In his closing address at the Conference, Garoyian said ``this years European Conference of Presidents of Parliament, which the House of Representatives and I personally had the pleasure and honour to host in Cyprus during these two days, has come to an end.``

``It was, I believe, an excellent meeting, which gave us a unique opportunity to exchange points of view, in a warm and friendly atmosphere, on the two important themes discussed during the Conference,`` he noted.

[03] TOURISM MAY - INCREASE

An increase of 42.5% was recorded in tourist arrivals from Russia (from 19.412 in May 2009 to 27.668 in May 2010) and 10.6% increase from Sweden (from 14.927 to 16.512 this year). On the other hand, a decrease of 2.4% was recorded in tourist arrivals from the United Kingdom (127.061 in May 2010 compared to 130.154 in May 2009) and 0.1% decrease from Greece (10.524 compared to 10.531 last year).

For the period January May 2010 arrivals of tourists totaled 602.678 compared to 622.070 in the corresponding period of 2009, recording a decrease of 3.1%.

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