Current Events

2017 has been a year of improving foreign relations for Cyprus, and judging by the latest developments, this will only serve to make all-round improvements for the island country.

Making a move to further educational cooperation between Cyprus and Oman, the former country recently hosted a meeting where strategies and plans in this regard were discussed. Presided over by the House President of Cyprus Demetris Syllouris and Higher Education Minister of Oman Rawiyah bint Saud Al Busaidiyah on Wednesday morning, the meeting concluded with several plans to increase educational relations, including (but not limited to) special study programmes and student and academic exchange schemes. A Memorandum of Understanding was also signed between the two countries.

Demetris Syllouris, who is currently in Oman on an official, added that they have plans to introduce a student exchange plan similar to Erasmus, which will help the educational sector of both countries. He also said that students from Oman who would attend Cyprus universities will have the added advantage of obtaining a European degree.

Syllouris, who seemed to be in high spirits also explained that Brexit might inspire universities in the UK to cooperate with their Cypriot counterparts. He cited Bristol university’s latest developments as a prime example in this regard, explaining that similar kind of cooperation from countries like Oman (and others in the Middle East) and also from European universities will help the island country become a bridge of cooperation between the two otherwise alienated regions (as far as education is concerned).

Oman’s higher education minister Rawiyah bint Saud Al Busaidiyah affirmed the good words of her Cypriot counterpart, expressing both hers and the country’s openness to such partnerships, and adding Memorandum of Understanding in these areas would be signed in the near future.

Cyprus’ education sector is completing one milestone after the other, and the Open University’s recent celebrations have only served to affirm this.

In what is being considered a grand celebration in Cypriot’s higher education sector, the Open University of Cyprus (OUC) celebrated its 10th graduation ceremony on November 17. The auspicious ceremony, which was held to honor students graduating in the academic year 2016-2017, had over 1120 graduates from over 26 different undergraduate as well as postgraduate programmes. An additional twelve graduates received their doctorate – the highest-ranking academic title.

The event, which was held at the Tassos Papadopoulos Eleftheria stadium in Nicosia was presided over by President Nicos Anastasiades and key officials of the Cypriot government. President Anastasiades extended his heartiest congratulations to the new graduates on working hard and achieving their diplomas which are recognized in Cyprus and elsewhere over the world.

President Anastasiades also spoke very highly of the OUC, hailing the institution as Cyprus’ sole higher education institution which completely functions on distance education, and has been successful in its endeavor to bring forth new perspectives on university studies and lifelong learning. In its 10 years of successful operation, the OUC has made a considerable contribution in improving and develop a wide range of skills which are required after having obtained a – or even a higher degree. The President added a positive note on the development of the university itself, emphasizing on how the institution has made a name for itself and gained a place among internationally recognized higher education institutions by keeping its dynamism alive and making diverse partnerships with universities, research houses, associations, and other institutions, both in Europe and in other parts of the world.

The President’s good words were reaffirmed by Costas Christos, chairman of the OUC administrative committee, who expressed his deep satisfaction with the state offering practical and continuous efforts that have helped the OUC to expand its multi-level social, educational, and research work. He further added that in addition to making an important milestone for the OUC, the date also marked 15 since the founding of the institution.

In a welcoming piece of news that will serve to strengthen the bilateral relations between Cyprus and Lebanon and increase the quality of maritime security in the east Mediterranean, the Defense Ministry of the island country has announced that it will help Lebanon build a search-and-rescue center which will respond to emergencies occurring in and around the Mediterranean Sea coastline.

The statement from the Defense Ministry added that officials from Cyprus will offer their Lebanese counterparts the financial and technical training and know-how required to build and maintain the rescue center. The rescue center itself will serve to encourage cooperation between the two countries in matters of maritime security in the east Mediterranean.

This announcement was made after a meeting that was held between Cypriot Defense Minister Christoforos Fokaides and Lebanese Defense Minister Yaacoub Sarraf in the Cyprus’ capital city of Nicosia. The two ministers have further agreed to hold a three-way meeting with their Greek counterpart Panos Kammenos, which is due to be held in the first quarter of 2018.

Cyprus currently supplies the armed forces of Lebanon with small arms and ammunition.

In what is being considered a welcoming news for the real estate industry in Cyprus, property purchases in the island country has risen by leaps and bounds, and going by the latest figures, shows very little signs of slowing down.

Figures from the Dept. of Lands & Surveys, property sales in the island country as of November 2017 has increased by an impressive 39 per cent since November 2016 – an impressive feat given the blows taken by the economy and real estate industries in the past years. This rise comes after an 18% increase in the month of October, an 8% increase in September, and a 27% increase in August.

In the month of November itself, 906 contracts were signed (for the purpose of selling land as well as commercial and residential and properties) and deposited at Land Registry offices all over Cyprus, as opposed to only 651 that were deposited in November 2016.

All districts in the country saw a rise in sales. In terms of percentage, Famagusta saw the biggest rise in sales (174%), followed by the country’s capital Nicosia (98%). Sales in Larnaca, Limassol and Paphos rose by 32%, 29% and 16% respectively.

Meanwhile, the number of property sale contracts deposited at Land Registry offices were 7,197, rising by 21% since November 2016.

Recent government schemes and measures have played a major role in the rise of property transactions. Specifically, the abolition of Immovable Property Tax and reduction in Property Transfer Fees have given property sales a much-needed boost. The country has also seen a rise of property being sold to Non-EU citizens who are looking for citizenship or residency and are using two different government schemes to their advantage.

The bitcoin revolution is taking the world by storm – and Cyprus is certainly no exception to this rule.

Hello Group, a Fintech company based in the island country announced the launch of the country’s first ever Bitcoin ATM in Limassol. Installed with the sole aim of helping people make their bitcoin transactions in a way that is most safe and secure, the ATM will be directly in contact with the top cryptocurrency exchange agencies to provide the highest rates available.

Set to be installed under Hello Group’s Limassol office in the Pitta & More café-restaurant, the ATM will allow customers to directly download bitcoin wallets by making a QR scan with their smartphone. To buy bitcoins using the machine, the buyer will simply need to scan their own wallet’s QR code.

The company made further statements to supplement its announcement, saying that the introduction of a Bitcoin ATM in the island country will spread awareness about the rapidly-growing bitcoin industry and give the relatively new blockchain and cryptocurrency currency industry a much-welcome boost.

Coincidentally, this news comes at around the same time as the announcement of rise of Bitcoin’s value to more than $10,000. Needless to say, the announcement of news such as this will serve to affirm the strength of what is indeed the most valuable cryptocurrency in the world.

The ATM will be located at Pitta & More — 56 Griva Digeni, Limassol, Cyprus

Cyprus Airways has spent the larger part of this year in strengthening its system, and recent developments show that it is not slowing down anytime soon.

In what is being considered a very good news for both the aviation and travel industries, Cyprus Airways has announced its plans to increase the frequency of flights on Larnaca-Saint Petersburg route for the upcoming summer 2018. Cyprus Airways Chief Commercial Officer Natalia Popova elaborated that they plan to increase the number of weekly flights from the current two to at least seven. She added that this improvement will include other perks, all aimed at offering our passengers more flexibility and capacity in their travel arrangements.

Not only will this change strengthen Cyprus Airways, it will also strengthen the ties by Russia and Cyprus and give a boost to the tourism and aviation industries.

Currently Cyprus Airways flights are available in two fare categories, namely Basic and Flex. Each of these have their specific features and variations, and include add-on features and services like changes, seat selection, baggage allowance and the like.

Single direction ticket prices from Cyprus to Saint Petersburg start from EUR 110 (w/ tax & charges). Flights can be booked via a travel agent, Cyprus Airways Call Center (National toll free 8000 8111 or international on +357 24000053) or directly through www.cyprusairways.com.

Those who wish to see the entire schedule of all the destinations of Cyprus Airways can visit the company’s website at www.cyprusairways.com.

In what is being considered a very divisive statement that will give a new turn to the Cypriot political scene, a senior Turkish Cypriot official has said that Cyrpus reunification talks should only resume only if there is any intention to address the political needs and status of the Turkish Cypriots.

According to Ozdil Nami, chief negotiator of the Turkish Cypriots, the Turkish Cypriots also have their rights, which should be duly addressed by the Greek Cypriots. Furthermore, the former group should get the assurance that their political status would be spelled out even if the talks broke down.

Speaking to Reuters in an interview earlier last week, Nami, who was “speaking for the Turkish Cypriot side” insisted that regardless of what the new process would turn out to be, it should be something that brings stability and transparency to the political status and rights of the Turkish Cypriots. Specifically, the talks should specifically spell out what the political status would be if the Greek Cypriots decide to go back on anything they have – or will – promise. Pressed further on whether he meant Turkish Cypriots should be given some kind of permanent recognition that would protect them should the new initiative sink due to the Greek Cypriots backing out, he said: “Exactly”.

This comes in response to the collapse of talks to unite Cyprus in July, which effectively ended what was considered the most promising round of negotiations. A deal that would have the island reunited and brought under the rule of a two-zone federal system simply collapsed into a two-sided “blame game,” with each pointing fingers at the other.

Nami echoed the voice of the Turkish Cypriots, saying that the lack of unity has led to an atmosphere of political ambiguity, and it is high time that this should end. He added that the need of the hour is to change the status quo in a way that is mutually agreed upon.

A former naval officer who has allegedly been linked to the Gülen network and accused of leading the failed coup attempt in Turkey last year has finally left Greek Cyprus after having sought political asylum on the island country, according to an official source.

Kadir Karaman, Former Naval Captain along with his Kazakhstani-origin wife Nina Pozhidaeva, who arrived on the Larnaca marina from the southern province of Mersin on October 1 in their luxury yacht named “Sanchez,” had previously requested asylum on the basis of the fact that they were being persecuted in their home country of Turkey. The couple, who had been staying on the yacht under police surveillance ever since, have now left the island.

The Greek Cypriot government, which attempted to handle the matter in a hush manner, failed to do so when Karaman’s identity was revealed after having an alleged public phone conversation with one of the most sought-after “secret imams,” while working as a part of İzmir-based operation into the Gülen network.

This led to the issuance of a detention warrant, followed by the Police conducting raids in his residence. By that time, however, Karaman had already left the Mersin port with his wife aboard the 10.5 meter luxury yacht. Arriving at Larnaca around a day later, Karaman and his wife requested to gain political asylum on the island, explaining to the Greek Cypriot police that the authorities wanted to falsely detain him over links to the Gülen network.

Karaman’s case is being considered as the first time ever when a Turkish Armed Forces member has requested asylum in Greek Cyprus.

In what is being considered alarming news as regards availability of natural resources in Cyprus, water reserves in reservoirs in the country have been found to stand at 14.6% of its total capacity, plummeting down further from last year’s 20%.

The finding sparked several discussions at the House agriculture committee, with the chairman Akel MP Andreas Kakalias concluding that such a situation has arisen primarily due to the fact that the water management system of the island country is riddled with problems. He also added that the island country currently lacks a holistic approach which will properly solve the issue.

In response to the situation, the House agriculture committee raised the issue of implementing a uniform pricing policy for water charges, emphasizing that special tariffs should be there in place to cater to livestock and farming needs, which do not exist at the current moment. With livestock areas being billed the way households are, farmers are facing immense difficulties in coping with high charges. Kakalias responded to the issue by having the agriculture committee request relevant ministries to take a look at the issue and subsequently formulate a farm-specific tariff.

Another issue that was addressed at the committee was that of the Limassol water board’s debts. Kakalias assured the people that he will have the relevant authorities look into the matter and solve the problem as soon as possible.

In what is being considered great news for innovation in Cyprus, a team from Cyprus is now going to compete in the European Cyber Security Challenge (ECSC).

One of Europe’s biggest competitions, the ECSC, which is organized and hosted by the Spanish National Cybersecurity Institute INCIBE, has the support of the European Union Agency for Network and Information Security (ENISA), will take place between 31 October to 3 November in Malaga, Spain.

The much-awaited event, which will bring together the best and the brightest young cyber-security experts from Europe, is set to feature over 150 participants from across 15 countries who will participate in a variety of challenges including (but not limited to) tasks such as gaining access to a protected system, deciphering encrypted documents and finding out security vulnerabilities in web applications.

According to Professor Dr. Udo Helmbrecht, Executive Director of ENISA, this exercise is important both for the participants and for the countries to which they will take back the international experience they will gain by taking part. He further added in the three years in which ENISA supported the event, he has seen a positive growth in terms of number of participants as well as the number of participating countries.

This year’s edition of the ECSC will include participants from the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, Romania, Italy, Switzerland, Austria,  Estonia, Denmark, Greece, Germany, Liechtenstein, Ireland, Norway, Spain, and of course, Cyprus.

Aside the titular main hacking contest, the ECSC will be hosting a job fair and certain specialized conferences. The fair will feature industry-leading organizations who will discuss career opportunities with participants.

According to President Nicos Anastasiades of Cyprus, the idea of any European state lagging behind other European states terms of human rights and fundamental freedoms is nothing short of appalling, and that Cyprus should make sure that it can never fall into this dreaded situation.

Speaking at the national memorial service of 1955-1959 EOKA heroes of Neo Chorio Pafos community, the Cypriot President stressed upon the importance of fundamental freedoms and human rights, saying that it is unacceptable for military intervention to stay in the country forever, given its adverse effects on the sense of security of Greek Cypriots. He even added that the country can never accept to serve the interests of another third country or become a protectorate.

While the President does understand certain compromises need to be made to return the island to the peaceful state it was in once, he also conveyed the fact that he knows the extent of said compromises, and can never allow the State to accept anything that tramples upon the rights of the Greek Cypriots and make them feel small and ignored in front of their Turkish counterparts.

Emphasizing on the need for a peaceful and stable country, especially for the upcoming generations, President Anastasiades stated that peace can only prevail when basic human rights are accepted, and when there are conditions that will inculcate good conscience. He concluded his speech by saying that the need of the hour is to create a European state that is stable, durable, does not discriminate on any grounds whatsoever and protect its citizens against any and all forms and manifestations of injustice.

Cyprus has notably been a divided country since 1974, when the Turks invaded and took over the island country’s northern third. It has since been a constant strife and series of negotiations, with the latest round of UN-sponsored negotiations having ended inconclusively in July 2017 in Crans-Montana, Switzerland.

In what is being considered ground-breaking move by a country that is not known for passing statements on the international stage, Cyprus recently announced how appalled it was to have seen the violent attacks against security forces in Egypt.

More specifically, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the small island country stated in a public statement how it “strongly condemns” the ruthlessly violent terrorist attack made on security forces on the 20 October 2017 in Al-Wahat, Egypt.

Speaking at a press release, the Ministry added that both the Government and the people of Cyprus took this matter to heart and needless to say, extend their sincerest condolences – both to the Egyptian Government and to the families, friends and relatives of the unfortunate victims of the incident. It also wished a sound and speedy recovery to those who survived but were injured.”

The Ministry also pledged that it would do all it can to help the both Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt and the people of Egypt in fighting against terrorism. Extending both its support and its solidarity to them, the Cyrpiot Ministry reaffirmed its own commitment and determination to pursue every emthod that would help in curbing terrorism, “in all of its forms and manifestations.”

In what is being considered a new move against crime in Cyprus, an illegal casino in Trachoni, Limassol was raided by the British bases (SBA) police on Tuesday, arresting 13 people and seizing several merchandise including gambling tables, computers, and cash.

Conducted by SBA police at 8pm on Tuesday morning, the authorities found the illegal establishment, which was already the subject of a closure order, occupied by 10 people who playing the gambling tables. Upon searching the building further, they found a woman and three men – all of whom were trying to hide from the police.

Led by Chief Inspector Panicos Panayi, the raid team consisted of 10 Bases police officers in total.

Chief Inspector Panayi stated how peaceful the raid actually was, along with the fact that the people found didn’t even make an effort to put any resistance. The top cop added that this was perhaps due to the fact that the people inside the illegal establishment knew that there simply was no chance to escape.

The 13 people who were found were arrested and taken to the Akrotiri police station. Other materials that were seized from the casino included 36 gambling computers, 11 blackjack tables, two roulette tables, and €1000 in cash. Also found was a sophisticated security camera system that was used in the establishment, whose data will soon be analyzed by the authorities.

Sean Tully spokesman for the Bases, spoke on the matter, stating that illegal gambling is absolutely intolerable and if found, will be dealt with the strictest hand. He further added that this raid should act as a warning for other who think that they can get away with breaking the law run such kind of establishments.

In what is being considered very reassuring news for peace in Cyprus, President Nicos Anastasiades recently made a statement emphasizing upon the need for having a united front to counter Turkish intransigence and overturn the current situation in the island country.

Speaking in Nicosia after a religious ceremony which commemorated the anniversary of 28th October, 1940, President Anastasiades said that history can only be written when everyone stays united. He further explained his rather cryptic statement, saying that in order to truly honor the commemorated anniversary, Cyprus must join forces and subsequently confront Turkish intransigence and its effects and finally overturn the sad and painful circumstances that currently exist in Cyprus thanks to Turkish interference.

President Anastasiades was asked regarding the effects of the developments in Spain on Cyprus, to which he confidently replied that the Spanish problem should and does not have any bearing on the situation in Cyprus, especially after the kind of reactions it has received from both Europe and other parts of the world.

Cyprus has been a divided country since 1974, when the Turks invaded and took over the island country’s northern third. It has since been a constant strife and series of negotiations, with the latest round of UN-sponsored negotiations having ended inconclusively in July 2017 in Crans-Montana, Switzerland.

The anniversary of 28th October, 1940 serves to commemorate the rejection of an ultimatum by Benito Mussolini to Greece’s then Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas. The event marks the start of the Greco-Italian war as well as the subsequent conquering of Greece by the Axis Powers.

In what is being considered a refreshing news for Cyprus and the start-up and innovation community in general, “GrowGreen“ a Cyrpiot team, has bagged the first place in the thematic category of Sustainable Land Use at the Grand Final of ClimateLaunchpad 2017 held at Limassol, Cyprus. Climate Launchpad is well-known as the world’s largest competition that fosters green business ideas.
In addition to the winner’s spot in the thematic category, the Cypriot start-up also received standing ovation, critical acclaim, and a monetary prize of €5.000. GrowGreen received said accolades on account of for their groundbreaking idea of using coffee grounds to produce biodegradable fertilizing flower pots.

Other teams which represented Cyprus were ‘Be Right Bag’, which manufactured biodegradable and plantable bags which were made from seed-infused recycled paper and ‘Echofixer’ which made acoustic panels made of paper pulp to improve sound clarity.

ClimateLaunchpad 2017 had 964 start-ups from 35 countries submitting their green business ideas, and 105 of them being selected to pitch their idea in the Grand Final. The Grand Final was hosted and organized by Chrysalis LEAP, and co-organized by the Cyprus Investment Promotion Agency (CIPA).

Held over the course of two days, the event, which ended on Wednesday, featured over 550 different people from a variety of fields including investment, academics and business from all over the world. Not only did it feature an entire upcoming generation of successful start-ups, it revealed several new trends and offered valuable insight into a better and more sustainable future.

ClimateLaunchpad is sponsored by Climate-KIC, Europe’s largest public-private innovation partnership.

In what is being considered shocking news for the academic community in Cyprus and beyond, Panos Pashardes, the former head of the University of Cyprus’s Economic Research Centre (ERC), passed away at the age of 68 last Sunday.

The late professor, who joined the University of Cyprus in 1994, previously received his economics degree in 1973 at the University of Athens in Greece, and master’s as well as his PhD at the Birkbeck College of the University of London in 1975 and 1979 respectively.

Professor Pashardes has a broad range of knowledge as regards economics, but made his specializations in in public and welfare economics, consumer behavior, Cypriot economy and applied econometrics. Throughout his academic career, he has published dozens of academic journals, many of which stand as staple texts for reference.

Pashardes’ views on economic policies were largely liberal in nature, despite the fact that he was himself a member of the socialist party Edek. He even publicly advocated privatization of state-owned enterprises including (but not limited to) telecoms company Cyta, and supported overhaul of human resource management in the public sector.

The loss of the ace academic comes as a big shock and massive loss for the academic community – both in Cyprus and other European countries.

In what is being considered an interesting new development in European political relations at large, Cyprus and Russia have signed a new protocol, which outlines prospects and possibilities to expand the level of cooperation of cooperation between the two countries, including (but not limited to) telecoms and information technology, transport, industrial cooperation, innovation, and medical services.

Delegations were made on relevant issues between the two countries at the 10th summit of the Cyprus-Russia Intergovernmental Commission for Economic Cooperation held at Nicosia, which was headed by Harris Georgiades, Cypriot Finance Minister and Alexey Gruzdev, Russian Deputy Minister of Economic.

The meeting acted as a preparation of sorts for the Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades’ forthcoming visit to the Russian capital.
Speaking to the press after signing the protocol, Mr. Georgiades explained how the new protocol will be instrument in expanding relations based on good faith and practice between the two countries. He even went on to call Russia an “extremely important partner” for Cyprus, explaining how Cypriot exports worth over €1.3 billion go to the country. He also elaborated on Russia being an important political ally for Cyprus.

Mr. Gruzdev too, had nothing but good words. Not only did he describe the meeting as “very fruitful,” he also proceeded to explain the relationship of Russia and Cyprus are strategic partners in various spheres of politics, business and commerce.

In what is being considered breakthrough news after a long period of inactivity, Ioannis Kasoulides, Cyprus’ Foreign Minister has announced that the Cypriot government will negotiate with their British counterparts the status of Cypriots who have been working and/or living in British military bases. The discussions will be made keeping Brexit in view.

Speaking after a cabinet meeting, Mr. Kasoulides told reporters that the negotiations between the governments of the UK and the Republic of Cyprus and will concern rights of Cypriots who are living and working on British bases, and attempt to keep the same attached to the treaty of Great Britain’s secession from the EU.

Mr. Kasoulides added that the upcoming negotiations between Cyprus and Britain as regards what to what happens to Cypriots working on British bases after will start on Oct. 11th, something that automatically dismissed calls from deputies to put their own closure on the matter. The minister also confirmed the European Commission’s agreement to not take any steps unless the Republic of Cyprus explicitly agrees and allows the country to enter bilateral negotiations.

According to Mr. Kasoulides, the main factor they want maintained post-Brexit is for the rights of Cypriot nationals working on British bases to remain the same as they are under the currently installed regime. Under this (pre-Brexit) regime, the acquis was able to be applied successfully in the British Bases – according to Protocol 3 of the Accession Treaty of Cyprus to the EU.

Cyprus has now made itself an active part of the world’s largest anti-fraud community with Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, the world’s largest anti-fraud organization, announcing its inaugural assembly in the island country.

Speaking at a press conference, ACFE Cyprus explained that its aim is to play a constructive role in observing, identifying and eliminating fraud-related happenings in Cyprus. It added the Cyprus chapter intends to act as a force of meaningful change, and help in reducing, if not fully preventing instances of fraud and corruption in Cyprus, and well as helping to promote training in the field and impart both skills and knowledge to members.

Also present at the assembly, was Georgos Zornas, Internal Audit Director at the Bank of Cyprus Group, the main supporter of the new initiative. The director spoke at the occasion, describing the ACFE’s role at length and analyzing the goals it plans to achieve in Cyprus, adding that they while they have made a step in the right direction, they still “have a long way to go,” before they can safely speak to have established an effective governance mechanism in public as well as organizations.

In his speech, Mr. Zornas mentioned the PwC’s annual report, according to which, around 24 percent of participating Cypriot organizations were seen to have no proper ethics training program in place, whereas 42 percent were seen to have not performed any fraud risk assessment.

He also listed numerous fraud and corruption-related incidents which involved well-regarded politicians and senior state officials.

Young people make better talent and mean more progress, and Cypriot politics is no exception to the rule.
I, the Citizen, Cyprus’ youngest party made this point very clear just as it announced the start of its operations via a well-executed press release.

At the party’s inaugural press release, members stressed on the importance of having more young people get into politics. Many of the backers and founders of the popularly-called “Russian Party” also went on to highlight its key goals, which includes eliminating corruption and fostering a hi-tech culture which would integrate religious freedom, multiculturalism, and multi-ethnicity. They further added that these goals can only be truly and properly realized if and when the younger demographic takes an active part in the matters.

The press release reflected this view of the party and its members, saying that it is of utmost importance for the able, young, and educated to get and stay actively involved in the political scenario of the country.

The party, which aims to integrate all Cypriots and EU citizens at large, is being led by Mr. Alexey Voloboev, a Russian-born Cypriot businessman and citizen who has been based out of the island country for over 15 years.