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- Ελληνικά
The Government Spokesman, Mr.Konstantinos Letibiotis, responded today to journalists' questions, as part of his briefing to the media, held at the Presidential Palace.
Asked about the steps to be taken by the Republic of Cyprus regarding the possible participation of the Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar in the informal summit of the Organization of Turkic States to be held in Azerbaijan in July, the Spokesman said that the Republic of Cyprus will make all the necessary arrangements, recalling the similar actions taken by the Government in November 2023 at the Organization of Turkic States Summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, which resulted in the Pseudo-state not attending in the end.
Asked about the absence of the President of DISY from the meeting with political party leaders on the issue of local government reform, the Government Spokesman noted that all political forces were represented at this very important meeting on one of the most important reforms that this administration has been called upon to manage and successfully implement. He added: "What has been reiterated by both the President and the Minister of Interior is that we are about 100 days away from the implementation of this reform. A reform which concerns the whole of Cyprus is necessary and it is necessary to have the full cooperation, the close cooperation of the executive, the legislature and the local authorities. It is known from the very first moment that not only the government but also the legislature itself had identified the challenges that we will face, that we will be called upon to face in the coming period. We will have to fire up the engines together so that we can successfully implement this reform. Today there has been a very thorough exchange of views, an update from the Minister of Interior on where we are to date, the actions that the executive has taken so that the Ministry of Interior can assist the efforts of the Local Government Authorities and stakeholders in terms of the implementation of Local Government and it is precisely through this cooperation and with the political forces that this place can be made even more achievable."
Asked to answer whether the Government will help in case the finances of the Municipalities are not able to respond and whether there will be a cost to the taxpaying citizen, Mr. Letibiotis stressed that what matters at the moment, and on which not only the Government but also the Legislature is focused, is the successful implementation of the Local Government Reform. With implementation, both the reform and its provisions will be evaluated, judged in practice, and then there will be time for the necessary discussion to take any remedies, if necessary. Letybiotis added: "It goes without saying that any cost is for the taxpayer and it is for this reason that we should be doubly and triply careful in any decisions we make. But what should be made clear, I repeat, is that the common goal of all of us - and this is the common thread, if you like, of today's meeting - is that we will work tirelessly to ensure the successful, smooth implementation of the Local Government Reform next June."
On the same issue, and asked if there is an intention to table an amendment bill, the Government Spokesperson replied that there is no thought of an amendment bill and clarified: "This meeting, I repeat, has been held in order to provide the necessary information, first of all, on the part of the Ministry of Interior to the political forces about the actions it has taken so far, so that it can assist through its own supervisory role in the implementation of the provisions of the Local Government Reform, to indicate some issues on which there are, if you like, delays and they should be accelerated in the next short period of time that we have at our disposal and to provide this necessary coordination, so that Then he said: "Any amendment that involves differentiating the philosophy of the architecture, if you like, of the reform will not be brought to the House of Representatives, nor will it be debated before the implementation of the local government reform. Practical issues, which are towards the smoother transition, towards the smoother implementation of the reform is a different matter. I repeat that we will not enter into this debate. It was not this administration that advanced the bill. It was through and by the collective effort of the House of Representatives that we came up with this reform, which we will manage and do everything in our power to ensure that it is successfully implemented." Asked if there could be an amendment bill on practical issues, the Government Spokesman clarified that in the event of such a development in terms of practical issues, which do not in any degree or at any point differentiate the architecture or philosophy in terms of effective implementation of the reform, there would be timely information. When asked, Mr. Letibiotis cited as an example of a practical issue the issue of licensing as to ensure a smooth transition and so that it is done more quickly for the benefit of the Cypriot citizen. The Government Spokesman reiterated that these are practical issues, which do not touch, concern or affect the broader philosophy and architecture of the reform. He also clarified that such issues have nothing to do either with the number of municipalities or with the election of Deputy Mayors.
Asked to elaborate on the reason why this meeting was called today at the Presidential Palace, Mr. Letibiotis said that this meeting does not conflict with any other. "You understand that it is the executive, it is this government that has been called upon to implement this reform, which was, let me remind you, passed by the plenary of the legislature by the previous administration. But it is the executive branch that was called upon to have this oversight role, to assist in these efforts from day one. I also remind you of the repeated meetings that the Minister of Interior himself has held precisely to ensure the successful implementation of Local Government," he added.
Asked about the concern about the process expressed by the Minister of Interior a few weeks ago, Letybiotis said that the Minister of Interior himself has made statements after the meeting and said that if there was no concern, then we should be concerned. The Government Spokesman noted: "This is one of the biggest reforms to be implemented in our country, possibly after the reform of the General Health System. It is a reform that affects all citizens, all municipalities in the free areas and that is why there are challenges, there are issues. I repeat, this is not the first time they have been mentioned. But we are at a very critical time horizon. A great deal has been done on the part of the Ministry of Interior; there are many times that the Minister of Interior himself has intervened so that solutions can be found. But there are issues, either in terms of finding premises in some provinces, or in terms of the licensing process that will arise after the implementation of the reform, which we will have to look at, which will have to be answered. And let me tell you that these reforms transcend any partisan, any petty political differences. They are reforms which concern and must concern the entire Cypriot people. What the Cypriot citizen expects, what the Cypriot citizen demands, if you like, both from the executive and from the legislature, but also from the local government authorities, is that next June we implement with the greatest possible success this reform that concerns them more than anyone else. What we want from this reform is that the daily life of each of our fellow citizens should be better than the previous model that existed. We will be here, in close cooperation again, with the political forces of the country to evaluate in time the implementation, the application of the reform so that those corrective actions can be taken in time."
Asked to comment on whether the Government has information and shares views on a "give and take" process that took place between the parties on the division of municipalities, the Government Spokesman said: "The government institutionally has a historic responsibility and that historic responsibility, I repeat, is to successfully implement this reform. Any other discussion at this time I do not think is of any use. What is in the interest of the Cypriot taxpaying citizen is to identify in time those points, those actions that have not yet been rolled out and to be able to take in time those measures that can guarantee the effective, beneficial implementation of the reform.
Asked to comment on the annulment of the Libyan memorandum of understanding by the Administrative Court of Libya, the Spokesman said that this decision has geopolitical significance and the Government is constantly evaluating the new circumstances that arise.
Asked whether there will be a more active involvement of the European Union in the Cyprus settlement processes, the Spokesman said: "It is something that the President of the Republic himself has positioned and referred to. It is known that this was our approach and this remains our approach, precisely because we believe that the more active involvement of the European Union can play a catalytic role in the efforts for a resumption, but also for the resolution of the Cyprus problem. Through contacts, what emerged as the first step in launching this discussion was the appointment of a person as an envoy of the UN Secretary General, which we and our European partners welcomed with satisfaction.
Our diplomatic efforts in this direction are continuing. It has become possible to have an appointment on the part of the United Nations and we will continue our diplomatic contacts for more active engagement on the part of the European Union. It is a project that we have never abandoned, it is at the heart of our diplomatic contacts and we will continue in this direction."
Asked whether there is ongoing communication between the President of the Republic and Ms. Holguín, the Spokesman recalled: "This is something that the President of the Republic himself had said. That is, although Mrs. Holguín is not in our country, there is a regular, frequent communication between them.
Mrs. Holguín is expected to come to Cyprus in the second half of March, where she will hold meetings in private with the President of the Republic, with Mr.
Asked whether the President of the Republic will support Mrs Ursula von der Leyen to remain President of the European Commission for a second term, and whether he will participate in the proceedings of the European People's Party (EPP), the Spokesman said.
Asked whether the President of the Republic will support Mrs Ursula von der Leyen to remain President of the European Commission for a second term, and whether he will participate in the proceedings of the European People's Party (EPP), the Spokesman said: "The participation of the President in the EPP is something that has been answered not now, but since March 2023 when she received the first invitation to join the EPP and since then at every European Council she has participated in the proceedings of the EPP. This question has been answered repeatedly. As for the decisions and positions of the President of the Republic, be patient and if there is any position, it will be official."
Asked if the President of the Republic will consult the President of DISY, as a member party of the EPP, on any support for Ms. Von der Leyen, the Spokesman said: "This is something that will be discussed within the EPP. These are issues that concern both the EPP and the work of the EPP, which, I remind you, has scheduled work in a few days, which the President of the Republic will also attend."
In response to a clarifying question on the issue, the Government Spokesman explained: "The EPP, like any European group, has specific regulations and procedures that govern how they operate. The President of the Republic, as he always does, will position himself within the EPP and let me assure you that on issues that concern national issues - national benefits, if you like - we are in full consultation with all political forces at the level of the European Union."
Asked whether new measures to address the issue of price controls are expected to be announced tomorrow at the Cabinet meeting, the Spokesman said: "As the Finance Minister himself indicated a few days ago and what the Ministry of Finance is currently assessing is whether it is justified to extend all the existing measures that are in place or to modify some of them, but also possibly some additional new measures that can be taken to alleviate and support households in order to address the issue of price stability."
The economic staff is assessing all the possible measures that can be taken and tomorrow before the Council of Ministers these will be put before the
