Three million US citizens visit Cyprus exhibition in Washington
Around three million US citizens have visited the exhibition entitled “Cyprus: Crossroads of Civilizations” in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in the US capital.
The exhibition, which opened in September 29, 2010 and closed on May 1, 2011, took place in the framework of events to mark the 50th anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Cyprus and to highlight Cyprus’ own distinctive history and culture. The exhibition featured about 260 items, many of which were being displayed for the first time in the USA, covering nearly 11,000 years of history, from the Cypriot-Archaic through the Venetian period, which ranged from items from the earliest villages to masterpieces of medieval religious art. Visitors had the chance to be informed about Cyprus, its history and civilisation, its natural beauties as well as the political situation, through lectures and other events organised on the sidelines of the exhibition.
The last event, which took place in the framework of the exhibition, was a lecture by Jennifer Webb, archaeologist of the La Trobe University of Australia, under the title ''Aphrodite - Goddess of Cyprus'' that took place on the 20th of April. The lecture was attended by members of the Smithsonian Associates of the Smithsonian Institute, members of the diplomatic corps, academics, journalists, students and others. The event was addressed by Ambassador of the Republic of Cyprus in Washington Pavlos Anastasiades, who said that through the exhibition, visitors learned about Cyprus and the destruction of its cultural heritage as a result of the Turkish invasion and occupation of one third of the island's territory in 1974.
Since the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus, about 550 churches have been desecrated and between 15-20,000 icons are still missing, believed to be stolen or sold on the black market.In the Turkish-occupied northern part of Cyprus, an ongoing desecration of Christian churches is taking place, some of which have been converted to mosques, military camps and hen houses.
Owners of hybrid or electric cars will be able to park for free in Paphos’ municipal parking lots for one year. Special parking permits must be on full display on the cars. The permits are available from PaphosMunicipality. The decision was made at the Monday council meeting with the municipality eager to send the message that it supports environmental matters.
A delegation from the Paphos Tourism Board say that there is good potential from the Dutch market for 2011 tourism. Just returned from the annual Vakantiebeurs Tourism Fair in Utrecht, the Board said that Dutch tour operators were encouraging about tourist numbers to Paphos. There will also be an increase in airline seat capacity this year for one of the only markets which showed any signs of growth in 2010. Of all Dutch tourists who come to Cyprus, 53% visit Paphos, the board said. Hospitality tours to Paphos for Dutch journalists are now being planned.
Monarch airline announced that it is launching new UK services from Paphos as of May. From May 4, Monarch will run new services to Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham every Wednesday and Sunday.
Paphos is attracting the interest of thousands of European visitors to Cyprus aged 55 years and over, who are taking part in a specialized new holiday programme for EU residents.
The venture commenced on 15th October and will continue until the end of April 2011, and is a co-operation with Kavaliero Viajes, a Greek tour operator. Nicos Kavalieros, of the company said that it is estimated that more than 50,000 tourists from 10 different counties of the EU and at least 70% of them will stay in Paphos.
Paphos Tourism Board Director, Nasos Hadjigeorgiou said ‘we are hoping that his may encourage some restaurants to remain open during the winter period this year. “The Mayor of Paphos, Savvas Vergas, and the president of the local hoteliers association Themis Philipides said that they would ‘help for the success and continuation of the programme’.
Elea Golf Club – A golf course designed by Sir Nick Faldo
A golf course designed by Sir Nick Faldo was officially opened in Paphos by the former champion. Elea golf club is situated in the east of the Paphos district, some eight kilometers from Paphos airport, and is being touted as ‘Nick Faldo’s Mediterranean masterpiece.’The golf course is the centerpiece of Elea Estates, a new development that offers “premium villas and apartments and a boutique hotel”.
·Golf - The government has approved building permits for two golf courses in Paphos District.Environmental groups have long objected to plans for 14 new golf courses on overdevelopment and water shortage grounds. The new courses will be ready to operate in 18 months. A third permit was issued for Larnaca with three more in final stages of approval.
·Archaeological News - The completion of excavations at an archaeological site in Kissonerga revealed a long occupation and contact with other parts of Cyprus. The Early to Middle Bronze Age site, called Kissonerga Scalia, was excavated by a team from ManchesterUniversity. A furnace structure found on the site is unique in Cyprus.
·Wine - SODAP and LOEL wineries will take in an increased number of grapes to help vineyard owners to offload surplus produce. SODAP will take in 1.7 million kilos more than planned, while LOEL will increase its intake by half a million kilos. Grape fares have faced a difficult few years with cheap foreign wines being introduced to the local market, high temperatures, water cuts and vine diseases. PolisChrysochousMunicipality has submitted four applications for ambitious culture and environmental projects with partners across Europe. The EUprojects and programmes come under the heading of ‘Cross-Border’ and promote cooperation in areas of cultural heritage, fisheries and eco beach management with parents in East Mediterranean and European mainland.“We will also attempt to develop a green energy supply for the Polis area,” Polis Mayor, Angelos Georgiou said in a statement. “The overall goal will be to foster and promote the region with Polis as a single tourist destination, a region rich in talent and great potential to become a quality tourist destination.”
·Water - Technical testing is underway on a desalination unit which will serve Paphos. The unit, located on the coast below Kouklia, south of Asprokremnos dam, will provide water to communities and municipalities from the east o fthe district up to Peyia. Chief of the Paphos Water Development Department (WDD), Vassos Socratous, told Grapevine that tests had been undertaken on the filtering system and more practical tests were underway. When the project is completed, it will process30,000 m3 of water a day. The cost of desalinated water tends to be high owing to the amount of power needed for the process but the WDD says that prices have not yet been set. The decision for pricing of water is made centrally by the Council of Ministers. The WDD sells water to community boards and municipalities which then set water prices independently.
·Limassol Marina - President Christofias laid the foundation stone for the €350million Limassol marina project aimed at attracting high-end tourists to the island. The Limassol facilities will accommodate a range of vessel types and luxury accommodation and shops. The leader said that marina works in Paphos, Larnaca and Ayia Napa are to follow the Limassol Marina project
Cypriot Nobel Prize winner Christopher Pissarides expressed joy at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences' decision to award him the 2010 economics Nobel, along with US professors Peter Diamond and Dale Mortensen for their for analysis of markets with search frictions.
Speaking to CNA, Pissarides said he received the news on a telephone call from Sweden, one hour before the official release of the decision to the Nobel Prize Organization's website.
''I did not expect it. It was a big surprise, a great honour for me, my family and Cyprus and for my University. It was a great honour and it has not sunk in yet,'' Pissarides said, adding that the great interest shown in Cyprus and elsewhere was a pleasant surprise.He said he will be coming to Cyprus as he holds a seat at the University of Cyprus.
This year's three Laureates have formulated a theoretical framework for search markets. Pissarides expanded the theory and applied it to the labour market.''My Ph.D is on the problem of unemployment. The work was done between 1980 and '87 when unemployment was the biggest problem. I have always seen the practical side as to how a correct policy could minimize the consequences of unemployment both as regards the workers' difficulties and as well as the economy as a whole.''
''And we have particular proposals for politicians. I have spoken to governments, Labour Ministers on what this theory tells us on the problem of unemployment,'' Pissarides noted.
Asked on his future after the Nobel Prize, he said that he edges closer to Cyprus, as ''every one tends to go back to his roots,'' he pointed out.
Meanwhile, Howard Davies, LSE Director offered his warmest congratulations to Pissarides, who is a professor of economics at LSE and holder of the Norman Sosnow Chair in Economics.''The Nobel committee clearly felt, as we do, that his work over many years has been of outstanding quality and relevance and the whole LSE community will want to salute his achievement,'' he added.
Russian tourism in Cyprus will significantly increase during this and the coming years estimated today Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism Antonis Paschalides.
Paschalides, who wrapped up a three day visit to Moscow, where he met top tourism agents and officials said that by August 31st Russian visitors to Cyprus had reached 157.000, marking an increase of 50% comparing with the same period last year”. By the end of the year the increase is expected to hit the 60% mark, he said. He added that the establishment of three more Cyprus Consulates in the large cities Samara, Yekaterinburg and Krasnodar in combination with a coordinated policy of development of the Cypriot tourist product within the Russian periphery as well as the specialization of the product to appeal to large groups of Russians such as religious and athletic tourism are expected to boost efforts.
Russia is Cyprus’ second best client after Britain, said Cyprus Tourism Organisation (COT) General Manager Lefkos Phylaktides, adding that Russian tourists spend an average of 900 Euro per head as opposed to 600 Euro per head spent by British tourists.
Tourist arrivals in August 2010 came to 304.264 compared to 291.583 in August 2009, recording a 4.3% increase, Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism Antonis Paschalides said here today.
Overall, tourist arrivals increased by 0.7% between January 1st and August 31st 2010, and income between January 1st and July 31st rose to 809.4 million Euro compared to 798.3 million Euro for the same period in 2009, thus increasing by 1,4%.
Paschalides noted that the greatest increase in tourist arrivals came from Russia (50.2%) and the greatest decrease concerned the UK (5.8%).
The UK, he said, was most affected by the international financial crisis. Ηowever, he explained, there is a variety of reasons for this reduction and this is a matter which is being looked into.
Archaeologists claim to have located an ancient Cypriot city dating to the Late Bronze Age at the time of Troy, the Mycenaean and Minoan civilization and Tutankhamen’s Egypt.
Situated close to the modern village of Dromoloxia at the Vyzatzia locality by Halan Sultan Tekke, its discovery was made possible through the use of sophisticated GPS technology including electromagnetic detectors, a laser-based measuring device and geo-radar.
An Antiquities Department release described the results both of the radar investigation and the excavations so far by the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, under the direction of Professor Peter M. Fischer, as amazing.
According to the scientific findings the city was once as large as roughly 25 hectares making it one of the largest ancient cities on Cyprus during the Bronze Age between 1600-1100 B.C.
The radar results demonstrated the outlines of a large compound, at least 30x30 m in size, buried deep under the surface. This year’s excavations in May exposed only 10x10m of the building revealing nine rooms which were built in two phases. One falls into the 13th-12th century BC and the other dates some hundred years later.
The finds from the partly exposed complex include locally produced and imported pottery and objects of bronze, bone and stone. Dominating amongst the imported pottery are vessels from the Aegean sphere of culture, mainly from the Greek mainland. There are also imports from the Levant and Egypt.
The imports from the Levant include so called Canaanite jars of considerable size used for storage of oil and wine. Also imports from Anatolia were found. The large variety of finds provides evidence of the functions of these rooms, namely pottery production, metal melting, food preparation, storage and administration.
The archaeologists note that the rich finds witness again the central role of Cyprus during the Late Bronze Age. Besides its important exports of copper, Cyprus also exported pottery all over the Mediterranean, which was used as fine table ware.
Massive investment marks new era for Cyprus Tourism.
Limassol Marina Ltd, the company heading the consortium behind the prestigious €350m ‘Living on the sea’ development, officially launched the Marina to a packed international crowd in the scenic garden setting of Limassol’s Amathus Beach Hotel. Monday’s spectacular evening scene was set against the dramatic backdrop of the Mediterranean sea and was very much in keeping with the flavour of the Limassol Marina and its ‘Living on the sea’ ethos.
As the very first official launch presentation, it marked the commencement of construction work on the project (which began some weeks ago), along with confirmation that sales of the first residential units, due for completion end of 2012, have also begun. The longer term, 2-phase project will take five years to complete, meanwhile, phase one is on target to finish by the end of 2012.
Senior representatives from the consortium stakeholders were present for the launch, which included international delegates from Cybarco, Francoudi & Stephanou, Joannou & Paraskevaides, J & P – Avax SA, Athena SA, CADS Holdings and Limassol Marina Development. The presentation was punctuated by keynote speeches from Limassol Marina chairman, Marios Lanitis, Commerce, Industry and Tourism Minister Antonis Paschalides and the Limassol Marina general manager Takis Palekythritis.
Paschalides outlined the significance of the Marina project to the island and its future tourist industry. “Today marks the beginning of a new era for Cyprus tourism and the successful cooperation between the state and private sectors”. He went on to add that “the success of this project is a given, with manifold benefits for Cyprus and its tourism as a whole. This government is developing and delivering projects to the island”.
His endorsement of the ambitious development, which is unique in Cyprus, was emphasised by Lanitis who added that at an estimated project cost of €350m, the Limassol Marina is “without doubt the biggest investment made in Cyprus” . In his presentation he went on to say that “we Cypriot businessmen have a vision for an improved Cyprus, which is why we invest in our country”.
The excitement and spectacle of the evening reflected the buzz that the Marina project is generating across Limassol town in particular. Talk of the development is commonplace and with the initial construction work already underway, the building sites are now visible to the locals and visitors in town. Conversation at the event with existing boat and yacht owners and potential Marina property investors, indicated that minor adjustments and some fine tuning of certain elements of the architectural designs, have recently been made, and certain additional details may follow after further discussion. Essentially however, the original architectural plans and layouts stand.
The internationally renowned team of architects and marine engineers developing the project are Sogreah Cyprus Ltd, A.F. Modinos & S.A. Vrahimis in association with Atelier Xavier Bohl. The Marina Operator is Camper & Nicholson, one of the oldest and most prestigious yachting companies in the world whose origins date back to 1782. The company specialises in waterfront developments and have been at the forefront of the yachting industry for the last 40 years.
The 18 units that have already been sold in the Nereids Residences have been purchased by Cypriot and foreign investors. The Bank of Cyprus is offering competitive loans to attract local and external buyers and the properties offer one, two and three bedroom accommodation. “The Nereids Residences do not simply offer luxury apartments with uninterrupted sea and Marina views, but the opportunity to experience a new way of life – Living on the Sea”, Palekythritis said. The lifestyle on offer at the Limassol Marina will be a ‘first for Cyprus, a resort like no other”.
Cyprus attracted significant number of tourists in May.
According to the Statistical Service, on the basis of the results of the Passengers Survey, arrivals of Tourists reached 258.014 in May 2010 compared to 246.546 in May 2009, recording an increase of 4.7%.
An increase of 42.5% was recorded in tourist arrivals from Russia (from 19.412 in May 2009 to 27.668 in May 2010) and 10.6% increase from Sweden (from 14.927 to 16.512 this year).
On the other hand, a decrease of 2.4% was recorded in tourist arrivals from the United Kingdom (127.061 in May 2010 compared to 130.154 in May 2009) and 0.1% decrease from Greece (10.524 compared to 10.531 last year).
For the period January – May 2010 arrivals of tourists totaled 602.678 compared to 622.070 in the corresponding period of 2009, recording a decrease of 3.1%.
A radial cave, which appears to belong to the Hellenistic or Roman period, containing tombs with bones and amphorae, was found on Monday by workers constructing Phase B of the coastal pedestrian precinct in Protaras.
Paralimni Mayor Andreas Evangelou said that during works the ground gave way and revealed a cave, containing ``what appears to be four ancient basins, in other words ancient tombs, indeed one with coloured pictures, some bones and a number of amphorae.``
``Work stopped at once and the ParalimniMunicipality and the Department of Antiquities were informed,`` he said, adding that ``the cave has been temporarily covered and is guarded by the Paralimni Police.``
Evangelou noted that the Department of Antiquities is expected to visit the area on Tuesday to evaluate the findings.
Cyprus is among the cheapest European destinations when it comes to hotel rates, Commerce Minister Antonis Paschalides said this week.
Paschalides told MPs at the House Commerce Committee that the latest EU report reverses Cyprus’s negative picture as a destination with expensive hotels. Cyprus is now among the 10 cheapest EU countries with regards to hotel rates, he said.
Messages from key markets such as Russian, Germany, Scandinavia and Greece are encouraging, he said.“With easier visa procedures the improvement of our airports and other services we are cautiously optimistic that there will be no drop in arrivals this year and they will hover at last year’s levels,” said Paschalides.
House Commerce Committee chairman Lefteris Christoforou warned of hard times ahead, stressing the need for a coordinated effort to attract more tourists in 2010.
Diko’s Angelos Votsis stressed the need to publicise the fact that hotels were offering cheap rates, while Edek’s Yiorgis Varnava believes that Cyprus is worse off than other competitive destinations, despite government efforts to attract more visits.“We must focus on reversing the picture of Cyprus being an expensive destination,” he said
The British High Commission is braced for a glut of applications to renew passports, ahead of the planned transfer of passport services to Spain in June.
As part of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s “rationalisation process” to cut costs and reduce fraud, all applications must be couriered to an office in Madrid, increasing the cost by at least €40 and turnaround time by at least four days.Paul Lakin, High Commission Spokesman, said yesterday “We are anticipating an increased number of applications in the next two months; we will be accepting applications up until May 28.”
He urged Britons to apply as soon as possible to avoid the rush. “It is better to apply sooner rather than later, and not leave it to the last minute... Most of the applicants will be looking to avoid the mandatory courier’s fees to and from the passport office in Madrid, which the High Commission has estimated will be around €40.“The Madrid office has an arrangement with a courier service, and the cost of return postage is fixed at €20. We are arranging a similar service for sending applications from the High Commission, and the cost should be around €20.”
For anyone wishing to send directly, rather than from the High Commission, the cost will be higher. Courier service DHL quoted €35 for a two day delivery, and the Cyprus Post quoted €20.50 for a 15 day delivery, or €27.34 for a five day delivery.This brings the total cost of a 48-page passport to over €200. A 32-page passport will cost €200 exactly if you are unable to send it from the High Commission.
Most applicants are advised to send their documents via the High Commission, who will offer a “Check and Send” service similar to the one offered in UK post offices.This service will ensure that applicants’ paperwork has been correctly completed, preventing the hassle and extra cost of repeating the process if the Madrid office rejects them. They are yet to publish a cost for the service, which is offered by the post office in the UK for £8.
The documents required for the passport will remain the same, and applicants will pay with their credit cards, by completing a credit card authorisation form.
The measures are part of a "Rationalisation process" which aims to cut costs for the FCO, improve security and reduce instances of fraud. The Spanish office is already receiving passport applications from eight other countries without a loss of turnaround time.
Posting old passports and credit card information through the post seems less secure than delivering by hand to a High Commission. Asked how the new system will increase security and reduce opportunities for passport fraud, Lakin said "New passport hubs will be centres of excellence for examination, fraud detection and prevention, decision-making and training as well as passport production."
In an official statement, the FCO added: "Limiting the number of locations where passports are printed reduces the risk of fraud and improves consistency of service. Teams will focus exclusively on passport work."Lakin advises applicants in the north of the island to use the High Commission's Check and Send service to ensure the security of their personal data.
ACCORDING to a report in Stockwatch, the five bills aimed at speeding up the issue of Title Deeds, which include an urban planning amnesty, will be submitted to the Council of Ministers and the Parliament shortly.
“Before the end of next week, the Attorney General will finalize the elaboration and the week after the five bills will be submitted to the Council of Ministers and then to the Parliament”, the Cyprus Interior Minister Neoclis Silikiotis stated on Friday.
The initial estimate was that the bills would be approved by the Parliament in September 2009.
“Those draft laws aim to facilitate the issue of Title Deeds. The promotion of this approach in the issue of Title Deeds is carried out so as to have substantial results and not only to strengthen the state revenues”, he said.
“Our aim is to facilitate the citizens who had not had Title Deeds for years now and to avoid similar phenomena in the future”, he reiterated.
Mr. Silikiotis made the statements within the framework of his meeting with the General Secretary of AKEL, Andros Kyprianou, who was informed on the course of the restructuring plans of the local administration.
Editor’s comment
Last year, the Cyprus Bar Association opposed the three initial draft bills saying that they “will lead us into a labyrinth without solving the problem”. Property groups KSIA and CPAG were reported to doubtful that the new laws would resolve all of the problems.
Commenting at the time David Pollard, commercial director of agent Universal Vacations Realty, said that “Simply bringing out new laws will not increase the speed at which some developers apply for Title Deeds,” adding that, “It will only make them more inventive because they have too much to lose.”
But Savvas Georgiades, of developer Aristo, welcomed the initial proposals saying that: “We believe that the simplification of the whole process will help enormously,” adding that “90% of the deeds are not expected to be problematic, with the other 10% having problems regarding unauthorised changes to their plans and these could be corrected by the amnesty measures proposed by the Minister”.
It is unclear whether Mr Silikiotis has addressed those initial concerns in the five new bills shortly to be presented to the Council of Ministers and Parliament.
With the rains we had last winter and the weather warming up, this spring promises to provide wildflower enthusiasts and nature lovers of all kinds an outdoor experience they have not had in years. The heavy rainfall has resulted in a profusion of plant life, with flower species such as purple arabis, rock rose and curry plant blooming in greater abundance than they have in recent memory.
“Of course the rains contributed to the germination of seed and the growth of flowers,” says Forestry head Andreas Christou. “Now is the flowering period and someone in the forest can see many plants. Even in the fields the plants germinating are greater.”March and April are the best months to find wild flowers in Cyprus, and the flowering season will last longer this year than usual because of the rain, says Christou. And with the increased beauty have already come an increased number of people out and about, hiking in forests and fields and enjoying the wild flowers.
Sunvil Holidays managing director Noel Josephides says the rains have been a boon for wildflower enthusiasts. “It is a great relief that there has been a very wet start to the year,” he said. “Cyprus is an ideal destination for early season walking and bird watching holidays and it’s an added bonus when the countryside is so green, beautiful and full of flowers.”
But Christou did warn that with the increased vegetation and beauty come increased dangers for the environment, and that hikers and tourists should exercise caution when out hunting for wild flowers. “Because people do not know which species are endemic or endangered we advise people not to pick flowers,” he says.In fact, some wild flowers, particularly several species of wild orchids such as the Bee Orchid, die if disturbed. Wild flower enthusiast organisations advise looking and taking photographs of the flowers but not touching or picking them.
Christou also warns nature-lovers that the colourful and lush environment should not lull them into complacency when it comes to being careful outdoors. “Because the vegetation, flowers and herbs are green now we do not have the danger of fire but in one month they will dry out,” he says. “Fire season starts in May, so we suggest respecting the environment, not touching or uprooting plants and when you eat in the forest don’t leave rubbish behind.”
Christou also cautions nature enthusiasts to be wary of snakes while outdoors because springtime is when they start moving along the hiking trails.
Wild flowers can be found all over Cyprus in the spring, but the western part of the island is ideal for finding the rarest species. The villages of Drouseia, Kritou Terra and Peristerona near Polis are awash in wild flowers this time of year, including rare orchids.
Cyprus is hosting the European Union’s presidency in 2010, with skeptics wondering whether the small Union member will be able to pull it off.
Will it have the necessary up-to-standard infrastructure, trained staff and much needed coordination among government departments?
The jury may be out for some, but Andrea Moleskis, head of the presidency office, is brimming with confidence that Cyprus can and will coordinate the work of the Union for six months without any hiccups. And at a cost that won’t sting the tax payer, either.
“The Republic of Cyprus has proven that it can meet set goals. When we want to succeed in something, we do. Take the country’s harmonisation with the EU acquis, for example, we have high caliber professionals, we just have to take advantage of their skills and knowledge. And we need good coordination.The public service has its weaknesses, but it has also achieved a lot in the past,” he added.
As for estimated cost, he said it will be “well below €90m” which is very reasonable compared to big member state France’s €180m and small Slovenia’s €90m. “We are aware of the obligations and responsibilities, but we have full sense of available resources too,” he said.
Moleskis, who used to head the island’s Planning Bureau, took over the presidency office duties in April.The secretariat employs 15 staff members and the office reports directly to President Christofias.
Their role is a coordinating one, says Moleskis, who has already paid visits to all ministries as well as political parties, the parliament and EU institutions.He believes the renovation of the Conference Centre in Nicosia will be completed by 2012 and that very high-standard hotels all over Cyprus can accommodation EU officials and their entourages.
The Conference Centre and adjacent Philoxenia Hotel will accommodate the needs of journalists, interpreters etc, he said.
Meanwhile, insiders said the new European Constitution’s provisions for presidencies were a blessing in disguise for Cyprus and other small Union members.
Presidencies are now run in groups of three so as to ensure continuity, while EU summits and extraordinary meetings will take place in Brussels only. Cyprus shares the presidency with Poland and Denmark.
“Presidency-countries are now losing out on summits with third countries, for example, an EU-Latin American one. And the input of a presidency country is decreased but so are costs,” a Brussels-based insider told us.“However, Cyprus and all other host countries will be hosting up meetings up to foreign minister level, and work with the newly-elected head of the EU to set their presidency’s priorities – those of the Union as a whole, though,” added the insider.
Foreign Ministry permanent secretary Nicos Emiliouu said Cabinet will set the presidency’s priorities.The Mediterranean dimension of the Union, as well as shipping-related issues could be proposed by Nicosia, he said.
Moleskis said employment issues, especially those affecting the youth, could not be ignored – not with unemployment in Europe as high a s10%.
Cyprus 2 euro coin has been awarded first prize, gaining the title “Best Trade Coin” in an international competition organised in 2009 by Krause Publications, the American publisher of “World Coin News”, the Central Bank of Cyprus has announced.
The winning coin is the common 2 euro circulation coin which depicts a cross shaped idol dating back to the chalcolithic period (3000 BC). The idol is an example of Cyprus’ prehistoric art and civilisation.
The award will be presented on 30 January 2010 during a special ceremony at the World Money Fair in Berlin.
Negotiations on a major €1bln marine tourism project in Larnaca are expected to be concluded within six months, says Cyprus Minister of Communications and Works, Nicos Nicolaides. The project, which is being undertaken by A. Vouros Consortium, will see the current marina upgraded with a 1000 boat capacity, hotels, shops and a residential area and will boost the construction sector said a Ministry statement.
Landmark €170 Million Wind Farm in Operation in Cyprus by End of 2010
Cyprus’s first wind farm is expected to be fully operational by the end of next year, helping the island to meet EU renewable energy quotas. The €170m park, launched on Wednesday in Orites, was developed by DK Wind Supply, a subsidiary of Cypriot development company Ellinas Energies, producing 8% of the island’s energy capacity. Financing for the project was secured by private equity fund manager, Platina Partners. The European Investment Bank is covering €65m of the loan while Commerzbank, ING and NordLB will cover a further €65m with a syndicate loan. Platina Partners is investing €40m. “The project has a capacity of 82MW in its first phase, with approved capacity for 140MW when complete. Cyprus has opened a new chapter for renewable energy,” Akis Ellinas, Chairman of DK Wind Supply told Grapevine.
