Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 10-12-22

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

CONTENTS

[01] PRESIDENT CHRISTOFIAS CHRISTMAS WISHES

[02] CYPRUS UN PROTEST

[03] CYPRUS AIRWAYS FLIGHTS

[04] REFUGEES AWARENESS PROGRAMME

[01] PRESIDENT CHRISTOFIAS CHRISTMAS WISHES

Addressing members of the band of the Hellenic Force in Cyprus (ELDYK), the Police and the National Guard, who sang Christmas carols at the Presidential Palace, the President said the real owner of this house, the Presidential Palace, is the Cypriot people as a whole. I wish that our Turkish Cypriot compatriots will be able to make use of this house together with us.

He also wished that 2011 will be the year of a solution for a free and reunited Cyprus.

The President thanked ELDYK members for their service in Cyprus and wished that they come back to a reunited Cyprus as tourists, noting that ELDYK has been on the island since the Republic was established 50 years ago.

EDLYK, the Greek military contingent, arrived in Cyprus in accordance with the treaties that established the Republic of Cyprus. Greece is one of the three guarantor powers of Cyprus the other two being Britain and Turkey.

[02] CYPRUS UN PROTEST

The Republics Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Minas Hadjimichael, has sent a protest letter to the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, drawing his attention to ongoing violations of the international air traffic regulations and the national airspace of the Republic of Cyprus by military aircraft of the Turkish Air Force. The violations were recorded from 1 September to 30 November 2010.

The Cypriot diplomat strongly protests the continued abuses by Turkey and calls for their immediate cessation, noting that these systematic violations of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Republic of Cyprus by Turkey clearly violate international law and air traffic regulations and seriously threaten the safety of international aviation in the region.

Hadjimichael underlines that these continuing provocations by Turkey put at risk the peace and stability in the entire region of the eastern Mediterranean and are unfitting for a country currently serving as a member of the Security Council.

[03] CYPRUS AIRWAYS FLIGHTS

According to Kyriakou, four flights took off from British airports out of schedule, one of which from Manchester carrying students who were stranded in Birmingham whereas another three flights departed from Luton, an airport not used by Cyprus Airways and Stansted.

Hermes Press officer Adamos Aspris noted that there have been no flight cancellations as far as the flight schedule of Cypriot airports is concerned, adding although that some long delays had occurred. These delays, he said, concern flights to and from airports which are continuing to face difficulties such as British airports Stansted, Heathrow and Gatwick.

[04] REFUGEES AWARENESS PROGRAMME

During a meeting with the Press in Nicosia, representative of the Service Sotos Ktoris noted that a great deal has been achieved as far as the examination procedure of applications for the political refugee status is concerned.

The fact that in 2008 there were 8,500 pending applications whereas as of October 30th 2010 there are 995 pending applications is indicative of the progress achieved, Ktoris said, adding that an average of 7,500 new applications per year was filed between the years 2003 and 2008, compared with approximately 2000 filed this year.

Palestinian refugee groups representatives also spoke of their willingness to work in co-operation with the Asylum Service and of their efforts to integrate within local society.

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