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Thursday, 21 November 2024
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Cyprus PIO: News Update in English, 97-04-04Cyprus 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 UpdateFriday, 04/04/97CONTENTS
[01] First Desalination plant in operationThe island's first desalination plant was put into operation on Thursday (3.4.97) after it was inaugurated by the President of the Republic Glafcos Clerides. "After the Cyprus problem, water shortage is the most serious problem our country has to deal with", the President said.The desalination plant, constructed near the Dhekelia electric power station on the island's south-eastern coast, will satisfy the increased demand for water in the country's burgeoning tourist areas in the Famagusta District. The plant is capable, at maximum capacity, of converting 40.000 cubic metres of sea water into drinking water, which meets strict European quality standards. At present, the agricultural sector as well as most villages and towns depend on a network of dams which can hold up to 300 million cubic metres of water. "A strategic plan has been drawn up by the government to cover the period up to the year 2010", the President said. It is expected that when government measures kick into gear, about 95 to 100 million cubic metres of water will be added to the island's reserves. The condition this year is especially severe, because of minimal rainfall and the water dams all over the island contain only about a fifth of their capacity. [02] EuroMPs condemn Turkish regime's humanitarian record.The Chairman of the European Liberal, Democrat and Reform Group in the European Parliament (ELDR) Gijs de Vries, whose group is holding a meeting in Cyprus, was received by the President of the Republic Glafcos Clerides on Thursday (3.4.97).Speaking to reporters after the meeting, de Vries said his visit is signalling the great importance his "political family", as well as the Dutch presidency of the European Union, attache to progress on the Cyprus issue. "We have explored opportunities for talks and we explored opportunities for the role the EU could play in supporting the UN-sponsored talks", the ELDR chairman added. Meanwhile, during the EuroMPs meeting here, the question of the enclaved people was discussed and a resolution they adopted says the ELDR "condemns once again very firmly the continued human rights violations and infringement of fundamental freedoms suffered by the enclaved people carried out by the illegal occupied regime and their unwillingness to compromise in this regard". The resolution says the Group "deemed unacceptable the conditions which are systematically imposed by the occupied regime on a visiting delegation from the European Parliament to the enclaved people, and if we accept these conditions, it is the same as the de facto recognition of the illegal occupied regime". The Group considers it urgent that an EP delegation, in particular in the framework of the work of the sub-committee on human rights "has free and unconditional access to revisit the enclaved people in order to assess their situation". [03] Romania will continue to support CyprusCyprus Foreign Minister Alecos Michaelides held talks with Romania's Prime Minister Victor Ciorbea on Thursday (3.4.97) who assured him that "Romania will continue to support the struggle of the government and the people of Cyprus for a just and viable solution to their problem, based on the relevant United Nations decisions".Alecos Michaelides, on a 3-day official visit to Romania, also had talks with the country's Foreign Minister Adrian Severin, during which they examined practical ways to encourage bilateral relations, the shared prospects of accession to the European Union and the situation in the Balkans. Michaelides met also with the Romanian Minister of Industry and Commerce Popescu and the Minister for Reform Spineanu. The two Ministers told Michaelides they are prepared to offer favourable conditions for Cypriot business investments and various joint ventures. [04] Turkish airspace violations over CyprusGovernment Spokesman Yiannakis Cassoulides said the President of the Republic will raise the question of the violation of Cyprus's airspace by Turkish military aircraft in recent days with UN resident special Representative Gustave Feissel.He stressed in reference to the flights: "These facts constitute a violation of International Law and are accordingly protested to the UN by the Foreign Ministry", he said, stressing that "they are not conducive to the climate which should exist in the on-going negotiations". The Spokesman noted that despite these violations "our side will continue its constructive stance during the proximity talks", noting it will never give the Turkish side a reason to abandon the goal all sides involved should be working on, which is "to create the conditions for face-to-face negotiations". Citing Cyprus National Guard information, Cassoulides said one reconnaissance plane and squadrons of Turkish fighters have violated Cyprus' sovereign air space and the Nicosia FIR on five different occasions, in the past ten days. On March 27, he noted, a reconnaissance aircraft, RF-4, approached the island's northern coast, in Kormakitis, violating the Nicosia FIR. He added that on March 31 there were two violations of the Republic's air space and Nicosia's FIR, and another two violations on April 1. The Turkish military aircraft entered the Republic's northern air space and flew over the Turkish-occupied northern coast, Pentadactlylos mountain range, Morphou and Kyrenia. [05] Robin Cook promises to "work tirelessly" for a Cyprus solutionRobin Cook, British Labour Party Shadow Foreign Minister, has reiterated that Labour does not accept the present division of Cyprus and promised that a Labour government "will work tirelessly to secure a just and lasting settlement consistent with international law and the principles of the UN Charter".Speaking at a gathering of Cypriot residents in Edmonton, north London, Mr Cook set out the following as Labour policy on Cyprus: "In government our policy will be governed by three objectives. The first must be to restore Cyprus as a united state with a single sovereignty and a single citizenship. There can be no agreement based on a separate sovereignty for any part of the island. We give our full support to a solution based on United Nations resolutions which call for a bi-zonal, bi- communal federation comprising two politically equal communities. The second objective must be demilitarisation and the withdrawal of all illegally present troops. If we are to have a single state of Cyprus, then the mark of a single state must be a single security system. There cannot be a meaningful settlement that recognises Cyprus as a united country if there are separate armed forces within Cyprus. I congratulate the government of the Republic of Cyprus for putting forward proposals to demilitarise the whole island and reallocate spending on arms to the economic development of a new Cyprus. That approach would help to enhance the security and prosperity of all Cypriots". [06] Labour manifesto offers strong support to Cyprus's EU courseThe Labour Party's general election manifesto published on 3rd April gives firm support for the application of the Republic of Cyprus for membership of the European Union.Among the key objectives a Labour government would set for the British presidency of the EU in 1998 the manifesto mentions; "High priority for enlargement of the European Union to include the countries of central and eastern Europe and Cyprus". Commenting on the manifesto Shadow Foreign Secretary, Robin Cook, said; "Our manifesto gives a clear commitment of support for the application of the Republic of Cyprus for membership of the European Union. Labour has been a friend of Cyprus during many years in opposition and will continue a friend of Cyprus in government. Our objective during the British presidency will be to ensure that the accession negotiations with Cyprus get the best possible start". [07] Cyprus Business census publishedThe first ever Census of business establishments has been published by the Department of Statistics, for the period 1989-1995. It shows an increase in the number of business of 27.7% in that period, rising from 45,610 to 58, 226.The highest growth was recorded in the finance, insurance and business sectors. Hotels and restaurants, which grew 5.3 per cent between 1985 and 1989, slowed down their growth to 2.4 per cent since then. In the same period, companies with limited liability rose from 19 per cent to 25 per cent in 1989 and 32 per cent in 1995. According to the figures, the size of enterprises in Cyprus is small, averaging only 4.3 people in 1995, compared to 4.6 people in 1989. Over half of all enterprises employ only one person. Almost 27 per cent of all enterprises are in the wholesale and retail trade and 13 per cent in manufacturing. Small enterprises employing less than 10 people account for 95 per cent of the total, medium size enterprises employing 10 to 49 persons four per cent, and large enterprises with 50 or more employees accounted for less than one per cent of the total. Women make up 39.4% of the workforce, compared to 30% in 1976. 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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