Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 11-07-04

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

CONTENTS

[01] PRESIDENT UKRAINE - CYPRUS ISSUE

[02] CYPRUS UKRAINE DOUBLE TAXATION

[03] CYPRUS UNEMPLOYMENT

[04] TOURISTS CYPRUS ARRIVALS

[01] PRESIDENT UKRAINE - CYPRUS ISSUE

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the premises of the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus in Kiev, President Christofias said that the Greek Cypriot side wishes for the Cyprus problem to be solved the soonest possible.

The Greek Cypriot side has an even more constructive stance at the ongoing Cyprus negotiations than one can imagine but we have reached our limits which we can not exceed, he stressed, according to an official press release.

The President dismissed statements made by Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu that the Greek Cypriot side is not in a hurry to reach a solution of the Cyprus problem, saying that this Turkish propaganda has to stop.

The Greek Cypriot side, he stressed, is the one who wants the solution of the Cyprus problem, since it is the Greek Cypriot properties which are being plundered, it is Greek Cypriot refugees who continue to be refugees, it is the enclaved, who continue to be enclaved, it is Turkish Cypriots who suffer from the presence of thousands of illegal Turkish settlers and are in danger to lose their Cypriot identity.

Meanwhile, addressing the state dinner given to his honor by his Ukrainian counterpart Viktor Yanukovych, President Christofias urged the Turkish side to show the necessary flexibility at the forthcoming meeting with the UNSG and the Turkish Cypriot leader in Geneva, on the 8th of July.

He reiterated that the Greek Cypriot side adheres by the agreement with the UNSG that the Cyprus talks will not be carried out under strict timeframes, nor that there will be arbitration like in the past and that the role of the UN would be the role of a facilitator.

President Christofias, who thanked Ukraine for its firm position on the Cyprus issue, said that the Greek Cypriot side has been undertaking initiatives to facilitate and speed up the process of the Cyprus talks so that a mutually agreed solution can be reached by the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot communities.

Turkey, he said, bears the burden to prove its willingness for a solution and urged the Turkish side to show the necessary flexibility at the Geneva meeting, so that the necessary progress is achieved.

Cyprus has been divided since the 1974 Turkish invasion. Peace talks are currently underway to find a negotiated settlement that will reunite the country, under a federal roof.

The UN Secretary General met with the President of the Republic and the Turkish Cypriot leader in November 2010, in New York, inviting them to accelerate the pace of negotiations. A second meeting took place in the Swiss city of Geneva, on January 26 and a third meeting is scheduled for July 7, again in Geneva.

[02] CYPRUS UKRAINE DOUBLE TAXATION

President Christofias, who is paying an official visit to Ukraine, met Monday in Kiev with Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, and they decided that the competent ministers of the two countries should work out a new agreement to avoid double taxation.

The agreement would be signed during a visit of the Ukrainian President to Cyprus, scheduled to take place in autumn, the President said, adding that Viktor Yanukovych has accepted his invitation to pay an official visit to Cyprus.

The two Presidents also decided for the creation of a joint Ministerial Commission, which will review the relations between the two countries.

[03] CYPRUS UNEMPLOYMENT

In general, the number of persons employed, aged 20-64, reached 385.093 and the employment rate was 75.4%.

However, the unemployment rate amounted to 6.2% of the labour force, which was lower for males 6% and higher for females 6.4%. The highest rate of unemployment was observed among young persons below 25 years of age and accounted for 16.7% of the labour force of the same age group.

The labour force (i.e. the employed and unemployed persons) amounted to 410.465 persons in 2010, consisting of 54.6% men and 45.4% women.

[04] TOURISTS CYPRUS ARRIVALS

Speaking to the Press after a ceremony held here today to present the winning destination of the Cyprus Eden 2011 competition, Phylactides said that an increase of 11% in tourist arrivals had been recorded during the first five months of 2011, compared to the corresponding period of 2010.

As regards the British market, Phylactides said that big increases are not to be expected, pointing out however that the downward trend has been overturned and a small increase could be forecasted.

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