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Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 11-06-08Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org.cy>CONTENTS
[01] FM - LIBYA CONTACT GROUP - MEETINGThe Minister of Foreign Affairs Markos Kyprianou will attend a meeting of the Libya Contact Group, in Abu Dhabi, on 8-9 June.According to an official announcement, during the meeting, humanitarian aid and long term support to the people of Libya as well as measures that need to be taken after the crisis will be discussed, among other issues. Kyprianou is attending the meeting as an observer at the invitation of the Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the Foreign Minister of Italy Franco Frattini. This is the third meeting of the Libya Contact Group. The first meeting took place in Doha, Qatar in April and the second in Rome in May. [02] CYPRUS - TOURISM - COMMERCE MINISTERTourism in Cyprus presents an encouraging image in 2011, according to the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism Antonis Paschalides. Speaking at the Annual General Meeting of the Association of Cyprus Travel Agents (ACTA), Paschalides referred to an increase in arrivals from Russia, Germany and the UK, indicating that 2011 will reverse the situation as far as tourist arrivals are concerned.He pointed out however that now attention should be paid to the upcoming winter season, as improving seasonality is an important goal for tourism in Cyprus, and added that the Ministrys concrete actions on this matter are progressing satisfactorily. Substantial progress has been made, according to the Minister, in the development of conference tourism, nautical tourism, and golf tourism with four more pitches operating and another two to be constructed later this year in Larnaca, on the south, and Paphos, on the west. There has been significant developments in the areas of sports tourism, cultural tourism and medical tourism, he noted. In his speech, ACTA President Victor Mantovani stressed the importance of winter tourism in Cyprus, noting that geographical location, mild climate, short distances, history and tourist sites give Cyprus a competitive advantage. The Cyprus Tourism Organization (CTO) Chairman Alekos Orountiotis noted that tourism is one of the few remaining sectors that can contribute effectively to economic recovery. [03] MARCOULLIS - DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY - DEVELOPMENTInformation and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are a vital tool and a smart investment in boosting economic development and creating more jobs amidst the economic crisis, Minister of Communications and Works Erato Kozakou Marcoullis has said.Addressing the 3d Annual Telecommunications Conference Infocom 2011 in Nicosia, titled the role of technology vis-a-vis the challenges of modern society, Marcoullis said that on June 30, analogue transmission of the television signal will be terminated and that the competent state authorities are working for a smooth transition to the digital TV era. The Minister called on all households who do not posses an MPEG-4 decoder to purchase one on time, in order to be able to continue watching the digital networks from July 1 onwards. Marcoullis also said that in a country like Cyprus, where the majority of economic activity is based on services, the digital strategy will help improve and upgrade these services, turning Cyprus into a regional center which may attract investments in health, education and tourism. Referring to internet coverage, Marcoullis said that Cyprus has made a remarkable progress since 2009, when the coverage rate stood at 30%, bringing it up to 100% in 2010, and surpassing the European average rate of 82.5%. In this area, Cyprus comes second, after Belgium, the Minister added. [04] CYPRUS - GDP - EUROSTATGDP remained unchanged in Cyprus during the first quarter of 2011, compared to the previous quarter, while it recorded an increase compared to the same period last year. According to Eurostat, the Statistical Service of the EU, GDP increased by 0.8% in both the euro area (EA17) and the EU271 during the first quarter of 2011, compared with the previous quarter. In Greece GDP also recorded an increase of 0.8%.In the fourth quarter of 2010, growth rates were +0.3% in the euro area and +0.2% in the EU27. Compared with the first quarter of 2010, seasonally adjusted GDP increased by 2.5% in both the euro area and the EU27, after +1.9% and +2.1% respectively in the previous quarter. In an annual basis, GDP in Cyprus in the first quarter of 2011 increased by 1.7% compared to the first quarter of 2010, in EU GDP increased by 2.5% and in Greece decreased by 4.8%. During the first quarter of 2011, household final consumption expenditure increased by 0.3% in the euro area and by 0.2% in the EU27 (after +0.3% and +0.2% respectively in the previous quarter). Gross fixed capital formation increased by 2.1% in the euro area and by 1.2% in the EU27 (after 0.0% and -0.2%). Exports grew by 1.8% in the euro area and by 2.2% in the EU27 (after +1.7% in both zones). Imports rose by 1.9% in the euro area and by 1.5% in the EU27 (after +1.3% and +1.6%). 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