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Sunday, 24 November 2024
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Cyprus PIO: News Update in English, 96-12-06Cyprus Press and Information Office: News Updates in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at <http://www.pio.gov.cy/>News Update06/12/96CONTENTS[01] Finance Minister presents 1997 budgets before the House of RepresentativesFinance Minister Christodoulos Christodoulou yesterday addressed the plenary session of the House of Representatives on the occasion of the discussion of the three budgets for 1997.The budgets - ordinary, development and refugee - envisage total expenditure of (Cyprus Pounds) CP1477 million and revenue of CP1088 million. The ordinary budget for next year envisages an expenditure of CP1162 million and revenue of CP1066 million. Expenditure in the development budget will rise to CP233 million, while for the refugee budget an expenditure of CP83 million and a revenue of CP21 million are envisaged. Outlining prospects for the economy in 1997, the Minister said they will be better than this year. The rate of growth is expected to rise from this year's 2,5 per cent to 3,5 per cent, conditions of full employment are expected to continue and the rate of inflation will remain at 3 per cent. He said the three budgets reflect the government's policy which centres on modernisation of the economy, increasing competitiveness and advancing our preparation towards accession to the European Union. Moreover, he stressed that the budgets take into account the emphasis the government lays on factors which improve the quality of life such as the environment, cultural development, improvement of health standards and social justice. [02] No deal on flight ban, says President CleridesNo deal was concluded in Lisbon on the US proposal to ban Greek and Turkish military flights over Cyprus, President Clerides said on his return from the Lisbon summit of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).He confirmed that the proposal for a moratorium on flights was discussed three times with US envoy Carey Cavanaugh during the OSCE summit. He said it became apparent during the talks that Turkey was using Cyprus' defence spending as an excuse to insist it has the right to intervene militarily in Cyprus. He added that at the last meeting a written document was submitted stating that for the Cyprus government there cannot be a continuation of this dialogue as long as Turkey maintains this stance. "Talks on the question of flights cannot continue unless we get crystal clear, satisfactory answers ", he stressed, saying that that was where the issue ended. "We will never allow Turkey to control Cyprus' defence programme", he added. President Clerides said that the Cyprus government is more interested in seeing the American initiative getting underway, and that their main concern was to get to the substance of the Cyprus problem and not take up side issues such as a ban on overflights. [03] Discussions are continuing, says State DepartmentUS State Department Spokesman Nicholas Burns replying to questions confirmed that the question of a moratorium on military flights over Cyprus by Greece and Turkey was among the topics which Carey Cavanaugh, Director of Southern European Affairs at the State Department, discussed with Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides and the Greek and Turkish delegations at the OSCE summit in Lisbon.Burns added that discussions are continuing but did not reveal the reactions of the parties involved. The State Department Spokesman said: "We believe that measures of this kind would be useful in themselves and would be particularly conducive to helping build an atmosphere that would facilitate movement toward some kind of comprehensive settlement of the problems on Cyprus. So, we remain very much engaged on this issue with the Greek, Turkish, and Cypriot governments and with the two communities on Cyprus". [04] Western European Union on CyprusThe 42nd regular Session of the Assembly of the Western European Union (W.W.U.) which took place in Paris between 2-5.12.96, has adopted the report and recommendation by French MP de Lipkoswki, on behalf of the political committee, entitled: "Security in the Mediterranean Region".As regards Cyprus, the recommendation adopted by the W.W.U. is as follows: "Support the efforts of the United Nations Secretary-General to find a solution to the problem of Cyprus in accordance with the resolutions adopted unanimously by the United Nations Security Council, and support the European Union declaration of 6 March 1995 which states that "Cyprus's accession should benefit all communities (Turkish and Greek on the island) and help to bring about civil peace and reconciliation and welcome the action of the British Government in appointing Sir David Hannay as a UK Special Adviser on Cyprus Affairs and recommends that the membership of Cyprus to the European Union be fully supported as this would greatly help towards an honourable settlement of the Cyprus problem." From the Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office (PIO) Server at http://www.pio.gov.cy/Cyprus Press and Information Office: News Updates in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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