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- Ελληνικά
The Movement of Ecologists welcomes the sanctions imposed by the EU against Russia after the invasion of Ukraine, said the MEP of the Movement of Ecologists Alexandra Attalidou. She noted that the EU should have reacted since 2014, when Crimea was annexed.
Referring to yesterday's statements by the Russian ambassador to Cyprus, she noted that we saw him "threatening us about Cyprus siding with the EU to which it belongs and imposing the sanctions decided by the EU heads of state. We find this kind of threats unacceptable, given that Cyprus has been a victim of Turkish invasion and occupation for 47 years, demanding that we demand something other than what we demand for ourselves, namely the implementation of international law and UN Security Council resolutions.
He added that Russia promotes its interests and often takes positions that are not favourable to Cyprus, such as, for example, the construction of the nuclear power plant at Akkuyu, which "we believe directly threatens Cyprus to a catastrophe as well," he said.
Cyprus stands on international law, demands sanctions, because the war must stop and because Cyprus must serve peace and human rights, he said, adding that "that is why we stand next to the Ukrainian people and with the views and positions of the international community".
Responding to a reporter's question regarding the side effects of the sanctions on the Cypriot economy, he said that what the ecological movement has been asking for years is that Cyprus should not be dependent on mass tourism. If the development of the tourism sector was qualitative, "we would not need mass tourism and the disasters we have with the illegal development that has taken place in all areas of Cyprus."
It is time to put Cyprus' economy under the microscope and where the structural problems exist we need to change them, he said, as we need "to make an economy that can withstand external pressures." Already, he said, "the EU is promoting with the Green Agreement and with New Generation Europe the shielding of all EU economies, including Cyprus's."
He added that specific sectors, such as agriculture, for example, should not be overlooked. He noted that there is a dependence on imports of cereals and other products, and at any moment there could be a disruption in the supply chain. According to Attalidou, the government should have taken measures because if it did, "we would be less dependent on imports" and we would be a more resilient economy.
"We are at the mercy of exogenous crises", she concluded.
Source: KYPE
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