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Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 11-07-26Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org.cy>CONTENTS
[01] SARKOZY CHRISTOFIAS MEETINGFrench President Nicolas Sarkozy is expected to express solidarity to Cyprus over the recent blast at a naval base which killed 13 persons and injured dozens, when he receives President of the Republic Demetris Christofias later today at the Elysee Palace.According to the French Presidency website, Sarkozy will receive President Christofias at 17:00 local time (15.00 GMT). Discussions will focus on bilateral cooperation and the main European and international issues. It is further noted that this meeting will present the French President with the opportunity to express Frances solidarity to Cyprus over the destruction at the naval base Evagelos Florakis. The Cypriot President will meet in the afternoon with French President Nicolas Sarkozy. Discussions will focus on bilateral cooperation and the main European and international issues. Earlier, he will attend a working lunch with French officials, including the President of the Cyprus - France Friendship Group at the French Senate. According to the French Foreign Ministry, the visit takes place in the framework of the close ties of friendship and cooperation between the two states. Thirteen people were killed - six firemen, five National Guard members and two sailors - by the huge blast which rocked nearby communities and caused extensive damage. Mari village suffered most of the damage. The massive explosion occurred a few minutes before 0600 local time (0300 GMT), when containers, full of munitions, which Cyprus had confiscated from Monchegorsk, a vessel sailing from Iran to Syria in 2009, complying with UN sanctions against Teheran. Following the blast, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defence and the Chief of the National Guard have stepped down. The explosion caused huge damage to the island`s main electricity power plant at Vasiliko, which resulted in regular power cuts. [02] MINISTER - EASO DIRECTOR - ASYLUMEuropean Asylum Support Office Executive Director Robert Visser said here on Tuesday that the Cyprus EU Presidency, in the second half of 2012, will have a glorious role to play in the adoption of the new asylum package.Visser, who also expressed his appreciation over Cyprus support of EASO, was talking during a joint press conference with Minister of Interior Neoklis Sylikiotis after a meeting they had this morning. On his part Sylikiotis said that Cyprus supports decisively the need for a Common European Asylum Policy. Visser said the meeting with Sylikiotis was very fruitful, adding that his presence in Cyprus is very important since as one of the frontline EU states it has a specific role to play in the subject of illegal migration and asylum. In this respect, he said it is not the only one but certainly one of the important states in the EU. Within the EU we are working on the Common European Asylum System, the new asylum package has just been launched by the Commission and for Cyprus and its Presidency next year there certainly will be a glorious role to play, he said. He continued saying that it is in that respect of the Common European Asylum that this new agency IASO has to be seen. [03] OMIROU - ISRAELI AMBASSADORPresident of the House of Representatives Yiannakis Omirou has expressed his gratitude to Israel for the help it has offered to Cyprus after the deadly blast at the Naval Base near Limassol, which killed 13 persons, injured dozens and knocked down the island`s main power plant.Omirou met Tuesday with Ambassador of Israel in Nicosia Michael Harari, who expressed his regret for the tragic events at the Naval Base ``Evaggelos Florakis``. Israel has sent ten generators of a total capacity of 10 MW to enhance Cyprus` energy needs. According to an official press release, during the meeting they discussed recent developments in the Cyprus problem. Omirou expressed pessimism as regards the possibility of reaching convergences by October on the core issues in the framework of the ongoing UN-led Cyprus talks. He referred to provocative statements made by Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan during his illegal visit in the Turkish occupied areas of Cyprus, saying that the statements show Ankara`s increasing intransigence. [04] CID - UEFA - FOOTBALLUEFA experts and CID (Criminal Investigation Department) members met here Tuesday to help Cyprus police investigations into allegations for rigged football matches, the police have announced.The meeting took place at Police Headquarters with four UEFA experts/technocrats and one UEFA associate, with expertise on monitoring internet betting, who arrived in Cyprus on Monday at the request of the local police. According to a police press release, todays meeting aimed at facilitating investigations into allegations concerning nine cases, reported to UEFA, relating to an equal number of football matches which are said to have been fixed. Police Spokesman Michalis Katsounotos said that at the meeting the experts clarified various issues, additional information was presented to help police investigations. Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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