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Tuesday, 26 November 2024
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Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 08-12-19Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org.cy>CONTENTS
[01] DOWNER - CYPRUS TALKSUN Secretary-Generals Special Adviser on Cyprus Alexander Downer believes that it would not be wise to put a timetable before the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot communities with regard to the conclusion of the talks they are engaged in. Speaking in Athens after a meeting with Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyiannis, he also said that the Greek and the Turkish governments are encouraging the leaders of the two communities in Cyprus towards reaching a Cyprus solution.During their meeting, Downer and Bakoyiannis made an assessment of the course of the direct talks, which began in September this year aiming at a comprehensive solution to the Cyprus problem. The two also discussed the prospects for 2009. In his statements, Downer, who is visiting Athens after the contacts he had in Ankara with Turkeys political leadership, said that he had a very good discussion with Bakoyiannis concerning the situation in Cyprus. He mentioned that the two leaders in Cyprus continue their negotiations through their commitment to a solution. It is a longstanding problem, a difficult problem, there is a long history and much sentiment for many of its aspects, Downer said, adding that We cant expect the solution to be a matter of few hours or days. Noting that it is a difficult process which is evolving, he said that he made it clear both to the Greek Foreign Minister and to Ankara yesterday that his opinion was that the two leaders should maintain the momentum in the process as best as they can. [02] DANNISH AMBASSADOR - CREDENTIALSThe Danish government strongly supports efforts by Cyprus President Demetris Christofias to create a common home for the people and the communities of Cyprus, as the new Ambassador of the Kingdom of Denmark, Bent Wigotski, has said. ``I am confident that your efforts will bear fruit and that the necessity of arriving at just compromises respecting the rule of law and the vital interests of the parties will be understood in all quarters,`` Wigotski said to the President, who received at a formal ceremony at the Presidential Palace, the credentials of the new Ambassador of the Kingdom of Denmark.Accepting the credentials, the President said he remains committed to the ongoing peace process and hopeful that the leadership of the Turkish Cypriot community will realise that the only way forward is to remain within the parameters of relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the High Level Agreements, which provide for a bicommunal bizonal federation, for a political settlement. The President stressed that the time had come to respond to the call of history and to realise the vision of a reunified homeland, as the people of Cyprus expect of their leaders. My government, the Ambassador said, ``was among the first to carry its share of the international obligation to help overcoming the Cyprus division,`` while ``for many years Denmark contributed to UNFICYP, adding that Cyprus and Denmark have always had close and friendly relations and share fundamental values. ``Our relationship,`` Wigotski said, ``was further strengthened when Cyprus joined the EU in 2004`` and ``this unites us in a common vision for Europe as a region where traditional enmities have been overcome, and where relations between states and between citizens and their governments are based on peace and the rule of law, not on the rule of the strongest.`` [03] FINANCE MINISTER - 2009 BUDGETThe Cyprus government, amid the global financial crisis, aims to maintain the highest possible growth rate and to minimise pressures on employment in 2009, Minister of Finance Charilaos Stavrakis has said. Stavrakis was speaking to the press after the approval by the House of Representatives of the 2009 state budget Thursday night. The budget was approved by 33 votes in favour and 20 votes against. It provides for 8.26 billion euros in expenditure, and revenues worth 6.87 bln euros. The budget deficit is 1,390 million euros.Commenting on the world crisis, the Minister stated that it is clear that we live through an unprecedented financial crisis, which inevitably will affect Cyprus open economy. We are still cautiously optimistic that the impact of this crisis on the economy will be far less than the fallout on the economies of other countries. The Minister of Finance stressed that the aim is to maintain the highest possible growth rate and minimise pressures on unemployment issues. Furthermore, Stavrakis pointed out that our concern now is the implementation and the realisation of the budget and if we see that the situation is getting worst due to the international financial crisis, then for sure there are alternative plans of action which, if needed, will be promoted. Stavrakis underlined that should the global financial crisis deteriorate further, public revenues related to land transactions will decrease, something which will reduce possible surplus for the next year. Therefore, he did not exclude the possibility Cyprus to record certain small deficits. Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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