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Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 13-09-16Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org.cy>CONTENTS
[01] Minister of Foreign Affairs visits Spain and PortugalMinister of Foreign Affairs Ioannis Kasoulides in paying Madrid an official visit Monday while on Tuesday he will be travelling to Lisbon.Issues on the agenda of the Minister's meetings in Madrid and Lisbon include bilateral relations, the Cyprus problem, recent developments in the Middle East and Southeastern Mediterranean, with particular emphasis on the situation in Egypt and Syria, and other European and regional issues of common interest. The Minister will return to Cyprus on September 19. [02] Mitsopoulos participates in the Informal EU Transport CouncilCyprus Minister of Communications and Works Tasos Mitsopoulos has stressed the need to adjust the air navigation service with the rapid socioeconomic changes.In his intervention during the Informal Meeting of the EU Ministers for Transport, Mitsopoulos underlined the need for the continuation of a fruitful dialogue between the EU Member States, in order to reach such legislation and timeframes on the issue of air navigation services that would dispel the concerns raised by the majority of the Member States. According to an official announcement, the Informal Meeting is taking place in Vilnius, Lithuania and the discussion mainly focuses on the proposal of the European Parliament and the Council in relation with the implementation of the Single European Sky (SES II +). Director General of the Ministry Alekos Michaelides accompanies Mitsopoulos in the Informal EU Transport Council. [03] Cypriot's trips abroad decrease 14,9% in AugustCypriot's trips abroad recorded a remarkable decrease of 14,9% in August, according to data released Monday by the Statistical Service of Cyprus.On the basis of the results of the Passengers Survey, 132.309 residents of Cyprus returned from a trip abroad in August 2013 compared to 155.426 in the corresponding month last year. In August 2013 there was a decrease of 19,6% on the trips of residents to Greece (from 66.918 in August 2012 to 53.816 in August 2013) whilst there was a decrease of 16,0% on the trips to the United Kingdom (from 27.124 in 2012 compared to 22.792 this year). [04] Tourism down in 2013, prospects for 2014 better, says CTOThe economic crisis in Cyprus which reached its height in March negatively affected tourism in the country in 2013 Cyprus Tourism Organisation (CTO) President Alecos Oroundiotis said on Monday, noting however that the action taken so far indicates that prospects for the next three years are better. In late March this year, the Cypriot authorities and the Troika (EC, ECB, IMF) agreed on a €10 billion financial assistance package which provided for a haircut on uninsured deposits at the BoCY and Cyprus Popular Bank (Laiki). Laiki is being wound down and merged with BoCY.Following the agreement capital controls have been imposed on the island's banking sector. Addressing a press conference on the results of CTO's contacts in several key tourist markets Oroundiotis said that in the first six months of the year tourist arrivals were down by 7%, by the end of July they were down by 8.5% while by the end of August they fell by 5.3%. The month of August recorded a fall of the order of 3%. CTO expects that tourism will be down by 4% for the entire year, a result which according to Oroundiotis is manageable. From traditionally big tourist markets, there was a downward trend of tourists arriving from Britain and Germany, he said, adding however that tourists arriving from Russia, the Ukraine and Israel were up by 25%, 85% and 22% respectively. Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |