Front Page Headlines
New support package for small businesses
Guarantees, grants and tax incentives for reduction of rents. Tax incentives to property owners to encourage them to reduce rent. A ceiling has been set per business category for loans reaching in total €1.5bn.
- Flight plans for the airports – Technocrats are studying parameters. Decisions will be made at the end of May or sooner, says (Transport Minister) Yiannis Karousos.
- Coronavirus: Mortality at 2,4% and six new cases
Full recovery by 2023
Under favourable conditions, the recession this year could be limited to 5% of the GDP. The nightmarish scenario in the Stability Programme concerns the shrinking of the economy to 13%.
- The antidote to Turkish aggression is being sought
They paid heed to OEV (employers & industrialists federation) instead of the epidemiologists
The decision by the Presidential Palace for the return of all pupils to the classrooms despite the opposing opinion of members of the epidemiological unit, but also before the epidemiological assessment which was scheduled for this Saturday, bears the stamp of OEV. The economy cannot function while schools remain closed, OEV said in a relevant letter.
- Erhurman calls for the bicommunal Technical Committee on Health to convene
- Training centre for conscripts also in Nicosia – There will not be a selection of reservist officers this year.
High-rise plans for iconic road
Residents angry and shocked by plans for five 16-storey towers on Gladstone St.
Coronavirus is going away, the parties return
Opposition got to back to work to break the government’s popularity which has peaked due to its positive handling in addressing the pandemic.
- Defence Ministry: The 2020 conscript intake will carry on as planned, in phases.
- Larnaca’s Kataklysmos events have been cancelled due to coronavirus
Main News
FM: GC side ready to resume Cyprob efforts when conditions allow
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros
Negotiations Process, Regional/International Relations, Energy
OVERVIEW
The dailies report that Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides stressed the GC side’s readiness to resume efforts for the solution of the Cyprus problem as soon as conditions allow.
Reporting on an interview of the minister with the Cyprus News Agency, the papers quote Christodoulides expressing the wish that very soon the government will be in a position to transition to the post-coronavirus era and continue the negotiations for the reunification of the island but also all of its other plans for progress and prosperity in the country.
Christodoulides said that though the talks were supposed to pick up from where they left off in Crans-Montana immediately after the election process in the occupied areas, the pandemic had a negative effect since it led to the postponement of these elections.
The minister also expressed concerns over the escalation of Turkey’s illegal actions in Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and its consequences including in the field of energy. “As far as we are concerned, our desire and readiness is to continue the effort as soon as conditions allow. There is no other option,” he said.
He also said his ministry has prepared a plan for the current period and the post-coronavirus one in terms of promoting its policies “so that we are able to respond to the new state of affairs that is being shaped.”
He added that the foreign ministry has also asked academics to submit their own approaches, assessments, and suggestions.
The minister explained that the consequences of the pandemic would lead to changes at international level and in relations between states. He noted that the pandemic crisis follows the global economic crisis that began in 2008 and the recent immigration crisis. “I believe that priorities set through the foreign policy of states will be revised and redesigned,” he said, according to the papers.
Phileleftheros also reports that Nicosia is searching for an antidote to the ongoing Turkish provocations with Christodoulides launching a marathon of contacts with counterparts of his in a bid to seek support against these provocations.
The paper reports that Christodoulides on Wednesday had a telephone conversation with his Spanish counterpart, Arancha González, and on Thursday with the FMs of Estonia and Ireland and discussed with them developments as regards the coronavirus and coordination among EU states, developments in the Balkans but also in the Cypriot EEZ, the paper reported. Estonia currently holds the Chair of the UN Security Council, the daily reported.
Alithia and Phileleftheros also report that Cyprus’ permanent representative to the UN Andreas Mavroyiannis, in two letters to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, condemned Turkey’s unlawful claims over maritime areas where it could not have any rights under international law and has protested the new illegal drilling operations in the island’s EEZ.
KEY ACTORS
Christodoulides (RoC FM)
>> Believes there is no other option for the GC side but resume the Cyprob talks from where they left off in Crans-Montana, as soon as conditions allow.
>> The coronavirus pandemic has negatively affected any developments on the Cyprob front since it led to the postponement of elections in the north after which the process was to resume.
>> Government is concerned about the escalation of Turkey’s illegal actions in Cyprus’ EEZ & its consequences including in the field of energy.
UNFICYP willing to assist with relaxations on crossings when two sides are ready
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros
CBMs, External Security, Human Rights
OVERVIEW
The papers report that UNFICYP said it was ready to facilitate and support both sides with efforts to ease restrictions at crossing points when conditions allow.
UNFICYP spokesperson Aleem Siddique, responding to a question by the Cyprus News Agency on whether they would be facilitating discussions between the two sides on the resumption of operations of a number of the crossing points, expressed the hope that both sides would continue to cooperate closely as they address the public health emergency across the island.
“This includes coordinating their efforts to ease restrictions at the crossing points, when the situation allows,” Siddique said. “UNFICYP stands ready to facilitate and support both sides with these efforts,” he said, according to the dailies.
Cyprus Mail also reports that UNFICYP’s statements follow the call by around 2,000 TC workers living in the north but working in the south of the island to authorities on both sides to facilitate their daily crossings to get to work.
The group, that call themselves, Those who work in the south, had also sent a letter to UNFICYP Chief of Mission Elizabeth Spehar asking her for her urgent assistance for conveying their concerns to the relevant authorities to take immediate action, the paper reported.
Phileleftheros reports that UNFICYP rushed to express their readiness for the relaxation of the restrictive measures on both sides of the crossings after keeping mum when the occupation regime shut down the crossings, when Mustafa Akinci was lambasted because he had asked President Anastasiades’ assistance for medical supplies to tackle the coronavirus, even when peacekeepers were banned from entering the occupied areas.
Haravgi and Alithia report that the head of the TC Republican Turkish Party, Tufan Erhurman, called for a meeting of the Technical Committee on Health for the two sides to jointly discuss the issue of crossings to avoid unilateral decisions.
Alithia and Phileleftheros also report that the Solidarity Movement, in a statement, expressed hope that the government would not rush to open the crossings under pressure from the well-known financial factors and those who seek immediately, just any solution to the Cyprus problem.
The party argued that it does not trust Turkey’s announcements as regards the real number of Covid-19 cases citing numerous information that the virus has devastated the country and that the same could be true for the occupied cases despite that they announced they have only 108 cases and four deaths. “We do not find these results to be trustworthy,” the party said.
ELAM said that the sensitivity exhibited by some on the future of TCs working in the free areas provokes the popular sentiment given that the employment future of thousands of taxpayers, citizens of the Republic of Cyprus is precarious.
KEY ACTORS
Siddique (UNFICYP spokesperson)
>> UNFICYP stands ready to facilitate & support both sides with efforts to address the Covid-19 situation which is a public health emergency for the whole island but also coordinate efforts to ease restrictions at the crossings when the situation allows.
Erhurman (CTP)
>> Calls for a meeting of the Technical Committee on Health for the two sides to jointly discuss the issue of crossings to avoid unilateral decisions again.
Solidarity Movement
>> Calls on Anastasiades not to rush to open the crossings under pressure from those who have economic interests from this & those who want just any Cyprob solution since it does not believe the coronavirus results the north has announced are trustworthy given the pandemic’s heavy impact on Turkey.
ELAM
>> It is provocative by some to express concerns over the future of TCs working in the free areas at the time when the jobs of thousands of taxpayers, citizens of the RoC, are also at risk.
Religious leaders send out message of solidarity
Alithia, Haravgi
Human Rights
OVERVIEW
The dailies report that the island’s religious leaders said in a joint statement that now is the time for real solidarity, compassion and unity, and called on people to continue to comply with the restrictive measures against the spread of the Covid-19.
In a joint statement, Archbishop Chrysostomos II, Mufti of the TCs Dr Talip Atalay, Armenian Archbishop Khoren Doghramadjian, Archbishop of the Maronites Youssef Soueif, and the Latin Patriarchal Vicar of Cyprus, Reverend Father Jerzy Kraj, said that for the first time in ten years since they started working together, as the Religious Track of the Cyprus Peace Process, they are divided physically since they cannot gather together to meet in person due to the coronavirus measures.
With restrictions on movements in place, within and between our respective communities we are asked to stay home to save lives and not place undue burden on the health-care workers who selflessly are caring for the sick and vulnerable, they said.
They also said that they witness with pain the ordeals of their communities, especially the most vulnerable groups in society; the poor, the marginalised and the homeless.
“No matter where we live and which community we belong to, the insecurities, the fears, and the pain are the same,” they said.
They also said they were thankful that the strict measures in response to the pandemic and the sacrifices made by all island-wide have not been futile. Cypriots, they said, have managed to keep the virus under control avoiding mass loss of life.
“In this respect, we call on our faithful to continue to abide by the directives of the state health authorities and call on the state authorities to reinforce an island-wide reflection and response post-lockdown,” they said, the papers reported.
RoC signs defence & security agreements with France, Lebanon
Phileleftheros
Regional/International Relations, External Security
OVERVIEW
According to the paper the ministry of defence
and representatives of France and Lebanon have signed on Thursday programmes
for bilateral cooperation in issues of defence and security in an effort to
further strengthen cooperation between the three countries.
The programmes were signed by the Military Attaches in Nicosia of France and
Lebanon and the director of Staff of the Minister of Defence.
The defence ministry said in a statement said the programmes concern activities
in the territory of the Republic of Cyprus and in the territories of France and
Lebanon.
When conditions allow, joint special forces exercises as well as cooperation between the joint rescue coordination centers of Larnaca and Lebanon but also naval exercises with France are to be scheduled within the EEZ of the Republic of Cyprus.
The agreement with France is yet another strong proof of the tangible support of that country towards the Republic of Cyprus as regards defending our rights within the EEZ, the paper reported.