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The Cyprus problem, the upcoming meeting between the Greek Prime Minister and the Turkish President, as well as domestic issues were among the topics discussed at today's briefing of the Government Spokesman Mr.
In his statements to journalists at the Presidential Palace, as part of his briefing to the media, the Spokesman, when asked to comment on information that the Turkish occupation regime is constructing fortification works in Deryneia, said: "The information we have is that any work being carried out is not within the buffer zone and we are already making the necessary representations."
Asked if the President of the Republic had been in contact with the Greek Prime Minister ahead of his meeting with the Turkish President, the Spokesman said that communication is ongoing and that there will be a telephone conversation tomorrow.
Asked whether the Cyprus problem will be part of the Greek Prime Minister's discussions with the Turkish President, the Spokesman said that "the Cyprus problem is always very high on the agenda of the Greek Government".
He added that any improvement in Greek-Turkish relations is not unrelated to the Cyprus issue, which the Greek Prime Minister himself has repeatedly mentioned.
Asked if the name of the envoy of the United Nations (UN) Secretary General (SG) for the Cyprus issue is valid, the Spokesman said: "We cannot confirm anything. We should await the official announcement on the part of the UN Secretary General."
To another question, the Spokesman said we hope for the appointment as soon as possible, noting that "we hope there will be sincere political will - on the other side as well - and that negotiations will resume as soon as possible."
Asked about Chevron, the Spokesman said: "There is agreement on next steps and both parties, through the convergences provided for in the agreement, are proceeding to update the existing development and production plan. Each company chooses the timing of the announcements it wishes to make. We as the Republic of Cyprus reiterate that its presence in the Cyprus Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is a vote of confidence."
Asked if the President of the Republic has responded to the request of DISY and AKEL to convene the National Council, the Spokesman said: "The President of the Republic is in contact with the political forces on a daily basis. Any political leadership wishing to be informed can contact the President of the Republic at any time. Convening the National Council at the present time is not something the President will do."
Asked to refer to the disagreement that has arisen with DISY in relation to the new jobs in the public sector, the Spokesman said that "I must say that we have been surprised by the position of DISY", noting that "all the positions that were envisaged and went to Parliament for defrosting are positions that DISY has also approved in the 2023 budget of either the state or public institutions. Most of them were positions envisaged in the budget submitted by the previous government. So, DISY is arguing about something that they themselves tabled and voted for. At the same time, I recall that it is a bill of the previous government with the support of DISY to not provide for the procedure of defrosting positions by the Parliament, a bill that the current government with the instructions of the President has withdrawn."
He added that the defrosting of positions in the last two years did not provide for additional costs for the state.
"We as a Government reiterate our commitment to a surplus budget but also to decision making always within the fiscal capacity of the State," he said."
Asked if there was consultation with the ruling parties on the divestment issue, the Spokesperson said: "We are hopeful that the forthcoming debate in Parliament will move within our means to provide a safety net for vulnerable borrowers and prevent strategic defaulters from exploiting loopholes that may have existed. We expect the Parliament to welcome and approve the Government's proposals."
He added that the philosophy of the overall package of measures should remain under the notion that we should not allow under any circumstances to derail our country's public finances and further horizontal suspension of divestments. The President, he noted, said his intention is to find a holistic, permanent, sober approach to dealing with non-performing loans.
With regard to the appointment of a Financial Commissioner, the Spokesman said the Government was waiting for the debate in Parliament to be completed and once the bill was passed into law, the President would proceed with the appointment.
With regard to the issue of Cyprus' initiative to provide humanitarian assistance to Gaza, the Spokesman said: "Various States have expressed their intention to assist either by providing humanitarian assistance or by providing ships that can participate in the implementation of the initiative. The first humanitarian aid from the United Kingdom (UK) arrived in Cyprus last week, which is stored in Larnaca, and the UK has so far provided one ship.
We are working - this is the context of the President's visits yesterday to Egypt and Jordan - to implement the Republic of Cyprus initiative, which is at an advanced stage in terms of technical issues. The team has returned from Israel on Sunday where technical issues have also been discussed there but the final implementation of the initiative is not up to us. What we can do is to be ready, to have a comprehensive plan and as soon as conditions allow, the initiative can be implemented."
He added that there are many countries and organizations that recognize the feasibility of the initiative and the importance of implementing it.
Asked about the issue of school buses and the inconvenience to the public, the Spokesperson said that "there is inconvenience and that is obvious. At the same time there was no other way to address the issue, especially when it comes to the safety of our students. In addition to what has already been announced by the Minister responsible, by this afternoon the Minister of Transport will be informed when the required equipment is expected to arrive in Cyprus. Certainly before the weekend, the public will be informed about the routes that will be put back into operation and when the equipment will be installed. An investigating officer has also been appointed to conduct an administrative investigation as to why the automatic fire extinguishing system was not installed on the school buses."
Asked about the experts who arrived in Cyprus from the US to assist the Cypriot authorities in the economic investigations, the Spokesman said the President had had a formal meeting with them, adding that "they are holding meetings these days with all the relevant bodies and authorities and their mission is to assist in the procedures of conducting investigations, to exchange best practices according to their experience in the investigation of economic crimes and to identify any issues for improvement in terms of procedures in the way these crimes are investigated."
In response to a reporter's remark that the President is accused of groveling in relation to the appointment of consultants and that there are behind-the-scenes moves to circumvent what is provided for in a relevant bill, the Spokesman said: "Let me remind you that this Government has for the first time proceeded with a Bill for legislation governing the qualifications, academic or otherwise, that advisers to Ministers will have. Pending approval by the House of Assembly, there are several advisory positions that have not yet been appointed just to complete the debate before the House of Assembly.
No procedure has been followed that is different from what has been followed in the past. I remind you of the case of the advisers to the Parliament. We as a Government have expressed from the beginning our clear will to find a legislative arrangement to end this issue once and for all, once and for all, definitively and which will for the first time govern the qualifications of the councillors."
In response to a reporter's comment that the Auditor General says he has received a commitment from the President that upon approval of the bill those councillors who do not meet the qualifications will leave the Presidential Palace, the Spokesman said: "The bill has been approved, it is before the House of Assembly to be passed into law. I reiterate that when it is passed into law obviously and in accordance with this legislation any decisions will be taken. It is for this reason that Ministers have not filled their number of councillors in anticipation of this debate."
On Acamas, the Spokesman said that "on the instructions of the President, the matter will be included on the agenda of the Cabinet tomorrow and it is possible that there will be announcements."
With regard to tomorrow's debate in Parliament on matters relating to the security of persons to which the Auditor General has referred, the Spokesman said that on this issue "we have already taken a position, as has the Police, which is responsible for matters relating to the security of the President, members of the Government and members of the President's family".
To a reporter's remark that low-paid civil servants are accusing the Government of breaking election commitments, the Spokesman said: "Let me remind you that a meeting has already taken place at the Presidential Palace. Already, there is a proposal for people in A2, A5, A7 positions. In the process, a request has also arisen for persons formerly in the A1 scale to enable their service to be recognized while they were in that scale. Any decisions taken should take very serious account of the budgetary implications they will have in the immediate and medium term. Already, the relevant Ministry is working on all possible scenarios and all possible solutions. A proposal has already been presented before the workers, we are in contact with them and we believe that the issue will be resolved."
Finally, in response to a reporter's remark that the occupation regime does not seem to be retreating from the buffer zone in Pyla and Agios Dometios, the Spokesperson reiterated, inter alia, that "we expect the peacekeeping force to implement its terms of reference and secure the status of the buffer zone by restoring the status quo" as it was before.
(PM/MS/NZ)
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