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- Ελληνικά
The President of the Republic Mr.Nicos Christodoulides today chaired a meeting of the Council of Ministers at the Presidential Palace.
After the meeting, Government Spokesman Constantinos Letibiotis told reporters the following. I would also like to mention that today is World Television Day, as decided by the UN General Assembly in 1996.
The history of Cypriot television begins on 1 October 1957.
This year the day is dedicated to inclusion, to a television without discrimination and exclusion. As a Government we share and encourage this message. It is precisely on this occasion that I would like to thank the Cyprus School for the Deaf, whose contribution allows us to give our hearing impaired citizens the opportunity to watch these regular updates as equal members of our society.
The President of the Republic will travel to Belgrade tomorrow, 22 November, where he will pay an official visit, followed by the 3rd Cyprus-Serbia Intergovernmental Conference. On behalf of the Republic of Cyprus, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Education, Sports and Youth and the Minister of Defence will participate in the Intergovernmental Summit.
On Wednesday 22 November, during the first day of his official visit, the President of the Republic will have a private meeting with the President of the Republic of Serbia, Mr. Aleksandar Vučić, followed by an extended meeting of the delegations and a joint press conference. He will then proceed to the National Assembly of Serbia, where he will meet with the President of the Serbian National Assembly. In the evening, the President of Serbia will host a dinner in honour of the President of the Republic of Cyprus and the Cypriot delegation.
After the bilateral meetings of the Ministers, the Intergovernmental Meeting will be held under the chairmanship of the President of the Republic of Cyprus and the President of the Republic of Serbia. Within the framework of the Summit, Memoranda of Understanding will be signed between the two countries in the fields of education, science, innovation and advanced technologies, as well as cooperation between the Diplomatic Academies of the two countries. The intergovernmental meeting will be followed by a working lunch hosted by Serbian Prime Minister Ana Brnabić in honour of the President of the Republic of Cyprus and his accompanying delegation.
After the conclusion of the 3rd Cyprus-Serbia Intergovernmental Conference, the President of the Republic will leave for Rome, where he will hold a meeting with the President of Italy, Mr Sergio Mattarella, on Thursday 23 November, and later will have a working meeting with the Italian Prime Minister, Mrs Giorgia Meloni. During these meetings they will discuss developments in our region, the Republic of Cyprus' initiative to create a maritime corridor for the provision of humanitarian aid to Gaza, migration and our efforts to resume negotiations on the Cyprus problem.
On Friday 24 November, President Christodoulides will travel to the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City, where he will be received by the Swiss Guard and have a private meeting with His Holiness Pope Francis, followed by a meeting in the presence of the Cypriot delegation.
The symbolism of the President's visit to the Holy See is twofold, since it is the first meeting between the President of the Republic and the Primate of the Roman Catholic Church and it takes place on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Cyprus and the Holy See.
The President of the Republic will convey the appreciation of the Cypriot people to the Holy See for the philanthropic work of the Roman Catholic Church around the world, while he will also refer to our excellent bilateral relations and express the determination of the Republic of Cyprus to promote the pending agreements in the fields of health, education, cultural and museum cooperation. President Christodoulides will inform Pope Francis of the efforts our side is making to resume the talks for the resolution of the Cyprus problem and of the need for the appointment of an envoy by the UN Secretary General. He will also elaborate on the Republic of Cyprus' initiative for a more active involvement of the European Union in efforts to break the deadlock. The President of the Republic will also refer to the destruction of cultural and religious heritage, including Catholic monuments, such as the church of St George of the Latins in Famagusta, which is used as Turkish baths, and violations of religious freedoms with the rejection of requests for church services in the occupied territories.
The President of the Republic will discuss developments in our region and the role of the Republic of Cyprus as a pillar of stability and peace in our geopolitically fragile neighbourhood. In this context, he will brief His Holiness on the initiative of the Republic of Cyprus on the creation of a maritime corridor for the safe, unhindered, long-duration and long-flow transport of humanitarian aid to the civilian population of Gaza. President Christodoulides will outline the plans for the implementation of the initiative so far, the results of relevant contacts and will discuss with Pope Francis ways to support and strengthen the initiative on the part of the Holy See.
President Christodoulides will then meet with the Prime Minister and the Deputy Foreign Minister of the Holy See. The President of the Republic will then proceed to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, where he will be officially received, have a meeting with the Grand Maestro and the Foreign Minister of the Order, after which a Postal Agreement will be signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus and the Minister of Finance of the Order. The President of the Republic and the Cypriot Delegation will attend a banquet hosted in their honour by the Grand Maestro before departing.
On Monday 20 November, the 3rd and last procedure of this phase concerning the expression of interest for participation in the Boards of Directors of Public Law Entities through the Advisory Council was completed.
Specifically the expressions of interest :
1 Cyprus Ports Authority: 195
2 Cyprus Theatrical Organisation: 127
3 Contractors Registration and Control Board: 26
4 Cyprus Telecommunications Authority: 124
5 Cyprus Land Development Authority: 89
6 Licensing Authority: 36
7 Cyprus Electricity Authority: 152
8 Cyprus Sports Authority: 143
9 Town Planning Council: 60
10 Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: 90
The Advisory Council, after evaluating the expressions of interest for each organisation, has the responsibility to draw up a list of recommendations to the relevant Minister, to be put before the Council of Ministers for a final decision. The criteria for the selection of candidates, in addition to the provisions of the 1988 Act, i.e. the existing criteria, will be the participation, as far as possible, of an equal number of men and women, the participation of individuals whose experience, qualifications and skills, academic or other professional qualifications, social activities and contributions contribute to the promotion of the objectives of the Agency. The list will contain three times as many candidates as the number of vacancies provided for on the Board of Directors.
The increased interest shown by our fellow citizens in participating is a self-evident encouragement of policies and procedures that enhance transparency and meritocracy in public life. It is within this framework that the Council of Ministers has decided to include the Board of the English School in the responsibilities of the Advisory Council, a request also expressed by the school's Parents' Association. The date for the launch of the call for expressions of interest will be announced in the coming days.
The establishment of the Advisory Council is the implementation of another important action of President Christodoulides' governance programme in the context of the reorganisation of the state and the promotion of participatory democracy, which enhances transparency and meritocracy in public life and contributes substantially to the upgrading of the functioning of institutions.
The Council of Ministers today approved the increase in the contribution of the Cyprus Democratic Council to the Advisory Council. According to the official list of missing persons in Cyprus, the total number of missing persons is 2002 (492 T/C and 1510 E/C). To date, more than 1500 excavations have been carried out by ICRC crews across the island, from which over 1205 total missing persons have been exhumed, of which 1034, 742 Greek Cypriot (E/C) and 292 Turkish Cypriot (T/C) missing persons have been identified. Furthermore, 210 cases are under examination in the CMP Anthropological Laboratory, while another 90 cases are ready or almost ready in the excavation list.
The annual budget of the CMP amounts to €3.2 million, of which €2.6 million. 80% of the budget comes from the European Union (EU). It is noted that to date the EU has provided more than €30 million for this purpose.
The determination of the Government and the President of the Republic personally to achieve the goal of establishing the fate of all missing persons remains unchanged and we will continue to strengthen our efforts and actions in this very direction.
The Cabinet of Ministers today approved the Regulations prepared by the Department of Labour Inspection to increase the obligations and safety measures in workplaces where chemicals are present in quantities equal to or greater than 75% of the limiting quantities specified in the existing Regulations, in workplaces adjacent to SEVESO units and in workplaces within the Vasilikos Energy Centre. Based on the proposed Regulations, employers of these premises will be required to obtain a Fire Protection Certificate from the Fire Service.
The above concerns the implementation of the decisions taken in July 2023, aimed at preventing accidents in waste management facilities.
In addition, as part of the prevention of fire risks in waste management facilities, the Government is implementing measures as follows. 1. The inspections are expected to be completed by the end of 2023. Accordingly, and where required, Waste Management Permits will be amended.
2. A Specialist Group has been established, coordinated by the Chief Inspector of the Department of Environment and involving the Fire Service, the Labour Inspectorate and other Services. The Expert Group has been tasked with the assessment of the Heavy Nuisance Industrial Zones A to assess whether issues of increased risk arise from the spatial incompatibility of existing industrial installations.
3. Establish a dedicated Environmental Audit Section within the Department of Environment with sole responsibility for environmental audits/inspections of high risk facilities. Implementation of this Sector is expected within the first half of 2024.
4. The Government is in constant communication with Local Authorities. Meetings have already been held with the Local Authorities of Cheriou, Idali, Geriou, Kalavasos and Ipsona, under the responsibility of the Director General of the Environment Directorate, during which the Government's action plan was explained in detail and their cooperation was requested. It was also agreed that an Inspector would be engaged by the Environment Department with the purchase of services for monitoring the Industrial Zones of Idali, Cheri and Geri. A similar model is being discussed for the Industrial Zones of Ipsona and Kalavasos and it is expected that this will be agreed before the end of 2023.
5. A tender has already been awarded for the purchase of consultancy services for the creation of a management team for the Vasilikos Energy Centre to deal with operational and functional issues, primarily health and safety (health and safety), environment and site security, with a physical presence at the Energy Centre itself.
Next Thursday, 23 November, the first two apartment buildings in the refugee settlement of Apostolos Andreas in Latsia, which have been deemed unsafe, will be demolished.
Next Thursday, 23 November, the first two apartment buildings in the refugee settlement of Apostolos Andreas in Latsia will be demolished. Two new apartment buildings with comfortable apartments will be erected in the same location as part of the "KtiZO" plan of the Ministry of Interior. Until then, the tenants will live in other places with state subsidized rent.
The Government is moving to solve a decades-old problem, wanting to ensure safe and decent living for hundreds of families living in blocks of flats that are in need of reconstruction or renovation. We are pleased with the pace of implementation of the "KtiZO" project, which is the most active State intervention in the housing sector in the last 50 years since the State was called upon to respond to the need for mass housing for displaced persons after the invasion. Based on the interest expressed so far, meetings have been scheduled for the remaining groups of beneficiaries from the 20 blocks of flats to be demolished immediately, as well as for some groups of beneficiaries from the 23 blocks of flats to be demolished at a later stage. Before the end of the year, a tender will be launched for the demolition of the next apartment buildings that have been vacated."
(RM/NG/MS)
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