Front Page Headlines
A three-week ultimatum for the unvaccinated
Suggestion to shut the doors to them in restaurants, cafeterias, recreation areas. Epidemiologists aid a temporary ‘No’ to the imposition of additional restrictions, with the health ministry appealing to citizens for vaccination. According to Mr Hadjipantelas after a period of three weeks, restrictions will be applied in specific areas for non-vaccinated individuals. People who choose not to receive the booster dose will say goodbye to their SafePass, while the increase of cases in schools pushed the epidemiologists to suggest the mandatory use of a mask and control with rapid tests. Nearly 500 cases, specifically 491, were announced yesterday by the health ministry with a positivity test rate of 0.50%. 106 patients with Covid-19 are being treated in the hospitals of OKYPY, 32 of whom in serious condition.
- Parliament: It has been trying to put a roof over its head since 1994
- The public service commission upsets the foreign ministry: A “peculiar” ambassador appointment
- Refugee crisis: 50 unaccompanied minors every month
Christmas with SelfTests
Which measures go to the cabinet tomorrow for decisions. Masks in primary schools, ban on events. Time to the unvaccinated (to get vaccinated).
- Stop by three countries to decisions on Turkey – A tough December as regards sanctions.
- The Republic of Cyprus is in charge of checks on halloumi – An international organisation is pulling the pseudo state’s ear.
- A serious problem with organised crime – Concerns after the confessions of the Attorney-general.
Measures ahead of the holidays to avoid the worst…
Cancellation of Christmas events in municipalities, communities and schools.
- Christodoulides was cornered by opposition parties
- Increased flows of unaccompanied children
- The EU has approved a reduction of VAT on electricity – Reductions from November 1.
Minister, president ponder next steps
CovScan now mandatory, some festive events may be cancelled.
- Attorney-general says more golden passport prosecutions coming soon
- (Photo caption) Defence Minister Charalambos Petrides at the aeronautical exercise Medusa 11 conducted off Crete with the participation of Greece, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Cyprus.
Eight measures against coronavirus
Beginning with mild measures and a grace period for the unvaccinated. Masks in primary schools, cancellation of Christmas events in schools and municipalities and a reduction in the number of people in gatherings.
- Christodoulides: I don’t believe I have made a wrong assessment on Famagusta
- The daughter of the ‘deputy interior minister’ is battling for her life in Makarios hospital
- The first First Lady, Mimi Kyprianou has died
- The president will have dinner tonight with the political leaders
- The coronavirus pill arrives in Cyprus within December
Main News
Christodoulides: EU not a society of angels, measures on Turkey not that easy
Alithia, Cyprus Mail, Haravgi, Phileleftheros, Politis
Negotiations Process, EU Matters
OVERVIEW
The dailies report on Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides’ assessment of his work on the Cyprus problem and Turkish provocations after quizzed by MPs during the presentation in parliament of his ministry’s budget for next year.
Christodoulides said he did not believe he has made a wrong assessment on the issue of Famagusta but that it was not easy to convince all EU member states to proceed with measures against Turkey on the matter.
The minister will be in Brussels today to take part in the General Affairs Council and will discuss with EU counterparts of his the options paper on the EU’s response to Turkey’s actions in Varosha. He pointed out, however, that the EU is not a ‘society of angels’ and that the member states go to Brussels, having as top goal to serve their own interests. The minister also referred to the three EU countries “that almost always react when we reach the stage of taking serious decisions against Turkey. And they react, not because they care about Turkey, but because they are serving their own interests that are tied to Turkey,” he noted.
Phileleftheros reports that these three countries are Germany, Italy and Spain. The latter, with the visit of its prime minister in Turkey has showed the extent of their economic relations, the daily reported.
Cyprus Mail reports that Christodoulides pointed out that a market such as Turkey will prompt countries like Spain take this into account. And perhaps, he said, “were we in Spain’s position, we would likewise take these factors into account.” It is understood he was alluding to a defence industry cooperation deal signed earlier this month between Spain and Turkey. President Nicos Anastasiades is scheduled to visit Spain, where one of the items of discussion will be Madrid’s armaments deal with Ankara, the daily adds.
Christodoulides said the options paper should be submitted to the Permanent Representatives Committee and is expected to include political and legal measures. He added that unanimity is needed to make decisions. “We will see how the whole debate unfolds in December in Brussels,” he added.
He also pointed out that any discussion for a positive EU agenda for Turkey has not progressed and “our goal is through the decisions that will be taken to have a formal decision to end any discussions in this direction, unless Turkey returns to the issue and the Cyprus problem, based on the agreed framework and does not return with illegal actions in Cyprus’ EEZ,” he said.
Christodoulides reiterated that a comprehensive settlement on Cyprus remains the only way to deal with Turkey’s conduct. “If anyone has any suggestion other than that, I’ll gladly listen,” he noted.
He also cited Turkish moves aimed at Egypt on demarcating their respective maritime borders – moves which Cairo has so far rebuffed. Egypt’s stance, the minister suggested, was due to the close relations Nicosia has forged with Cairo.
Haravgi reports that Christodoulides was cornered by opposition parties AKEL and DIKO on the Cyprus problem and the straying of Cyprus from the target of the bizonal bicommunal federation (BBF), but also the country’s lack of credibility abroad both due to the way the Cyprus issue is being managed and the ‘golden’ passports industry.
Responding to questions by AKEL MPs on if he heard discussions for a two-state solution, Christodoulides stated that there is no other goal than the BBF. Christodoulides denied responsibilities or in some cases, such as when asked if he heard discussions about a two-state solution, avoided answering, the daily reported. He also said he did not share the view that the GC side is responsible for the non-resumption of talks. On the issue of Varosha, he said this was used for PR by the TCs pointing out that Kudret Ozersay was the first to enter Varosha and this concerned his candidacy for the elections at the time, Haravgi reported.
Christodoulides told MPs that the Republic of Cyprus maintains 54 diplomatic missions: 44 embassies, four permanent delegations within foreign organisations, and six general consulates. There are currently 159 diplomats serving, while 12 diplomats are seconded to other ministries services or international agencies, four are in the diplomatic office of the President, one in the office of the negotiator of the GC side, one in the Ministry of Defence, five in EU positions and one in the United Nations. His ministry’s budget for 2022 is €98.9m. He also said that Cyprus will assume in 2026 the presidency of the Council of the EU for the second time since it became an EU member and must be in a position to respond to such a big obligation.
KEY ACTORS
Christodoulides
>> Not easy to convince all EU member states back measures on Turkey since their moves are based on their own interests.
>> Nicosia wants EU to end talks on positive agenda for Turkey unless Ankara returns to agreed framework on Cyprob & does not resume illegal actions in Cyprus’ EEZ.
>> A comprehensive, BBF Cyprob solution remains the only way to deal with Turkey’s conduct. Calls for suggestions by anyone having better ideas.
>> GC side is not responsible for the non-resumption of talks.
>> Does not believe he made a wrong assessment on the issue of Famagusta proof in that Ozersay used the fenced area for PR as part of his election campaign.
RoC is in charge of halloumi/hellim process all over island, BV says
Phileleftheros
EU Matters, Economy
OVERVIEW
The daily reports that Bureau Veritas, the certification company tasked with verifying the haloumi PDO process, has pulled the TCs’ by the ear on the matter, by pointing out that it is the Republic of Cyprus that has the first and final say both in the free and occupied areas for the implementation of the PDO regulation.
According to the daily, Bureau Veritas, in a letter to the head of the TC Chamber of Commerce, Turgay Deniz, sent last week, responds to all the points raised by the TC Chamber in a previous letter dated November 4 on the role of the Bureau Veritas for the inspection of all those involved in the production chain and the certification of the products of hellim / halloumi PDO throughout Cyprus.
In its response, which, according to the daily, refutes in their entirety allegations of indirect recognition of the pseudo-state, Bureau Veritas states that it has been selected as the body responsible for the checks provided for in Commission Implementing Decision EU 2021/586 of 12 April 2021. Bureau Veritas explains that according to this decision, the Republic of Cyprus applies procedures to ensure that the PDO Regulation covers the whole of the island, including those areas where the government does not exercise effective control but also to ensure that public and animal health are never endangered. Therefore, it adds, as a consequence of this EU Regulation and the EU decision the appointment of Bureau Veritas was made through an Independent Verification Agreement signed on 27 September 2021 between Bureau Veritas Hellas and the government of the Republic of Cyprus through the Ministry of Agriculture. It stresses that, Cyprus, on the issue of certification of halloumi as a PDO product remains under the supervision of the Bureau Veritas Hellas.
The independent body, recalling the current legal and regulatory framework, responds to the TC Chamber’s concerns about the Bureau Veritas’ impartiality and the need for direct contact with the TC Chamber bypassing the agriculture ministry. The agency calls on the Chamber to refer to Article 43 of the EU Rules of Procedure which provides that the Bureau Veritas may be authorised by the Republic of Cyprus to get in touch with the TC Chamber of Commerce. This is something that has already been done, the daily reports, as it appears further down in the letter since the government has already moved in the direction of arranging the required meetings.
The letter points out that the Republic has confirmed a meeting with Bureau Veritas on December 1 at the TC Chamber’s offices which the agency said, will be an excellent opportunity for Bureau Veritas to present the way with which it will be carrying out checks for the certification of halloumi/hellim.
A copy of the letter was also sent to the European Commission and the agriculture ministry, the daily reports.
The daily also reports on a letter sent by the agriculture ministry to the EU’s Director General for Health and Food Safety Sandra Gallina briefing the EU official of its efforts to delegate to an authorised body the powers to carry out all inspections and controls necessary to ensure compliance with EU requirements for animal health and food safety in the product chain of the occupied areas. The ministry refers to two issues that have arisen during the exploratory contacts: first, the availability of data in the areas that are not controlled by the Republic regarding the feed production facilities, of livestock and cheese and others. The second issue concerns the costs that will arise from the implementation of these checks, who will bear the costs and how it will be paid, the paper reports.
AKEL leader briefs EU, UK officials on Cyprob
Haravgi, Phileleftheros
Negotiations Process, EU Matters
OVERVIEW
The dailies report on the assessment by main opposition AKEL of its leader Stefanos Stefanou’s contacts in Brussels and London last week.
Stefanou’s tour was part of the party’s effort to brief officials on developments in the Cyprus problem. Stefanou met with the head of the EU’s Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats parliamentary group, Iratxe Garcia Perez, and the leadership of the European United Left/Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL) group.
He also met with the head of the office of the EU High Representative Josep Borrell. According to AKEL, the party delegation gave during the meeting a detailed analysis of the illegal Turkish actions that aim to promote a two-state solution, while stressing the need for concrete initiatives aimed at ending the deadlock and continuing negotiations from the point where they left off. The proposal formulated by AKEL for the use of natural gas as a catalyst for the resumption of negotiations was also discussed, giving content to the relevant position of the UN Secretary-General.
In London, the AKEL delegation had contacts with the British government as well as with the main opposition. Meetings were held with Wendy Morton, Under Secretary of State for Europe and America, and Fabian Hamilton, Member of the Labour Party and Shadow Minister for Peace and Disarmament.
In all the meetings, AKEL raised the issue of the Turkish provocations and the pursuit of Turkey to create faits accomplis, as well as the need to resume the talks as soon as possible from where they left off in Crans-Montana. A common conclusion was that whenever there is a stalemate in the talks, damage is caused to the Cyprus issue, since Turkey finds room to promote its partitionist plans. The AKEL delegation also met with EU Commissioners Margaritis Schinas and Stella Kyriakidou, the dailies reported.
UCY’s Turkish Studies Dept backs Senate on Kizilyurek issue
Haravgi
EU Matters
OVERVIEW
The daily reports that the University of Cyprus’ Turkish Studies Department backed the decision of the university’s Senate on the issue of the unpaid leave for academician Niyazi Kizilyurek for as long as he is serving his term as MEP.
The department adopts the position that his capacity as MEP and unpaid Professor at the University of Cyprus does not involve the risk of conflict of interest. On the contrary, it added, the election of a professor, member of its staff in the European Parliament is an honour for both the department and the University of Cyprus.
The department also said that the reactions in relation to the decision of the Senate for the unpaid leave of Professor Niyazi Kizilyurek seem to be based more on the origin of the TC MEP and not on the substance of the matter. It argued that previous decisions to grant unpaid leave to colleagues who have held public office have not provoked such reactions.