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Friday, 29 November 2024
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Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 06-10-25Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org.cy>CONTENTS
[01] �S������ PREMIER - DEPARTUREPrime Minister of Estonia Andrus Ansip concluded his official visit to the island, and departed this afternoon with his entourage.Minister of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment Fotis Fotiou and Cyprus` Ambassador to Estonia Loria Markides accompanied the Premier to the airport, where a red carpet departure ceremony was held. [02] CYPRIOT PRESIDENT - TURKEY - EUIf Turkey shows lack of political will to implement its European obligations then a really serious problem in Turkey`s relations with the European Union arises and there is a real possibility for the two trains to collide, Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos warned here Tuesday.In his address at the official dinner in honour of Prime Minister of Estonia Andus Ansip who is on an official visit to Cyprus, Papadopoulos said we do not wish such a problem to be caused and such collision to occur. The responsibility, however, for the prevention of a crisis in the Euro-Turkish relations rests solely with Ankara. If Ankara is in no position to assume or fulfill this responsibility, surely no one is entitled to expect the Republic of Cyprus to pay any price due to the negative Turkish attitude, as no one, I believe, has a right to defend the unhindered continuation of Turkey`s European course, without previously meeting its expressed obligations and commitments, Papadopoulos added. He noted that the full compliance of Ankara with the recommendations of the European Union and the prerequisites for its smooth course towards United Europe are not linked with the Cyprus problem, nor is an issue that concerns the two communities in Cyprus. [03] HELIOS CRASH - TESTIMONYFormer Director of the Civil Aviation Department (March 2002 to December 2004) continued here today his testimony before the Commission of Inquiry into the causes of an ``Helios Airways`` air crash in Athens on August 14, 2005.Head of the Commission Panayiotis Kallis presented a letter of the former Deputy Director of the Department Iacovos Papadopoulos, dated 14 February 2002, with which he briefed ``Helios`` over the beginning of a transitional period for the conversion of the pilots` licenses to European ones, according to the directions of the Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA). He also read a letter of the Civil Aviation Department to ``Helios`` that the issue would be discussed with JAA in October 2002. ``The pilots` licenses were affecting the flights` safety. From February 2002, the issue showed some movement in October, and we are still looking at a transitional period?`` Kallis asked. The witness said that the licenses of the pilots did not affect the flights` safety, noting, ``Alas if the American licenses put in danger the safety of the flights.`` Kallis indicated that the issue under examination is whether the Department failed or not to implement JAA`s instructions and asked how long the extension for an instruction could last. The witness said that Papadopoulos was writing letters as early as 2002, due to Cyprus` preparations to join the EU, noting that delays in the Department were due to government bureaucracy and to the lack of response to JAA instructions for employee training for the monitoring of flights` safety. Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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