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

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

CONTENTS

[01] Korneliou: Cypriot presidency has no hidden agenda

[02] EC: Cyprus has not applied for financial assistance

[03] House President: Cyprus to exploit own advantages to overcome crisis

[04] Revenues from Tourism down by 16.1% in April 2012

[01] Korneliou: Cypriot presidency has no hidden agenda

``Cyprus will hold the Presidency of the EU as an honest broker, with clear guidelines and no hidden agenda`` Korneliou said, presenting the priorities of the Cypriot presidency at the European Policy Centre (EPC), in Brussels.

In relation to political and economic challenges, Korneliou said that the crisis in the eurozone, financial stability, the sovereign debt crisis and tackling unemployment, particularly of young people will be among the most serious issues that the Cypriot presidency will have to address.

Our response, he said, to all these challenges is not more or less Europe, it`s ``a better Europe`` which will be closer to its citizens and their daily problems.

Korneliou described the negotiations on the multiannual financial framework (MFF) 2014-2020 of the EU as the most important issue on the agenda, through which the economic, social and territorial cohesion can be achieved throughout the EU.

He also said that high on the Cypriot agenda are the Trans-European Networks for Transport and Energy and Telecommunications, noting that they are important for increasing the competitiveness of the EU and improving its technical infrastructure.

The Permanent Representative pointed out that Cyprus will relaunch the EU maritime policy, describing it as a particularly important issue. He said that more than 40% of the EU population lives in coastal areas, where about 40% of the total GDP of the EU is produced. An Integrated Maritime Policy, he continued, could make full use of this enormous potential of the EU and recalled that Cyprus will host an important conference on the issue in October.

Referring to the economic governance, he said that reforms on the financial sector would ensure a more effective market surveillance, while as regards the Single Market, he said that the goal now is for it to create an attractive and friendly environment to Small and Medium Sized Enterprises.

He also referred to initiatives for job creation and job opportunities as well as to efforts to complete the Common European Asylum System, which will be important issues on the presidency`s agenda.

Korneliou said that emphasis will be placed on the European Neighbourhood Policy, particularly the Southern Neighborhood, taking into account developments in the countries of the Arab Spring.

The Permanent Representative noted that this would be Cyprus` first EU presidency. For Cyprus, he said, a small member country, the presidency is a great challenge and an opportunity to prove itself as a reliable partner within the EU.

``Cyprus will hold the EU presidency as an honest broker, who has clear guidelines and no hidden agenda``, he stressed.

The audience consisted mainly of members of European institutions and organizations, members of the diplomatic, economic and political sector, representatives of Non Governmental Organizations and other organizations in Brussels as well as media representatives.

[02] EC: Cyprus has not applied for financial assistance

Asked how close Cyprus was to a call to the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) and invited to comment on reports that the Commission is disappointed with Cyprus' efforts to get a loan from China, the spokesman said that it is true that in the case of Cyprus there is a very heavy exposure to Greece, to the Greek economy, not only to the financial sector of Greece and this has had an important effect on the Cypriot economy as a whole and on the banking sector in particular.

He added that "this includes the losses made because of the private sector involvement in the second programme of Greece. So the impact of that operation was particularly felt in the Cypriot banking sector".

The spokesman underlined that "the Cypriot authorities are addressing these risks in a decisive manner."

[03] House President: Cyprus to exploit own advantages to overcome crisis

Addressing the 4th Telecommunications and Informatics Conference "Infacom 2012", Omirou referred to the impact of the financial crisis on the people and the economy, as well as on financial institutions. He noted that these adversities, in combination with the accumulation of public debt, do not leave much space for manoeuvers.

"We live in a rapidly changing world and if we don't take advantage of technological advances, we will trail behind the rest of the EU," Omirou said, adding that in this case, it will be impossible for Cyprus to reverse the negative course of its economy and offer job opportunities to the young people.

Information and Communication Technologies are undoubtedly one of the main pillars of the increase of productivity, Omirou went on, adding that ICTs may lower costs in the public sector and increase productivity in the private sector. Therefore, he said, such technologies are associated with the creation of more jobs.

[04] Revenues from Tourism down by 16.1% in April 2012

According to CyStat, total tourists arrivals in April 2012 were 189.648 compared with 199.762 in April 2011.

The average length of stay in April 2012 declined to 8.5 days compared with 9.3 in the corresponding period of 2011. Total per capita expenditure declined to 604.5 euro as opposed to 684.3 euro in April 2011, whereas total daily expenditures declined to 71.2 euro from 73.8 in April 2011.

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