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Cyprus PIO: News Update in English, 03-05-08
From: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at <http://www.pio.gov.cy/>
[01]Thursday, 08 May 2003 Government will proceed with buffer-zone mine
clearing
[02] China supports efforts for Cyprus settlement
[03] Cyprus has lowest unemployment rate among acceding countries
[01] Government will proceed with buffer-zone mine clearing
The Council of Ministers decided, at its meeting yesterday under the
chairmanship of President Papadopoulos, to push ahead with the clearing of
minefields within the buffer zone and other government-controlled
areas. The Government Spokesman, Mr Kypros Chrysostomides, announced after
the Cabinet meeting yesterday that the Government considered the issue of
mine clearing "very serious", pledging that every effort would be made to
implement the measure. He further noted that "all necessary representations
to the United Nations will be made".
[02] China supports efforts for Cyprus settlement
The Chinese Ambassador to Cyprus Mr Limin Zhang reassured the Government
Spokesman Mr Kypros Chrysostomides, during their meeting yesterday in
Nicosia, that China was closely monitoring developments on the Cyprus
problem and that it remained a friend of Cyprus and a supporter of its
efforts for reunification. The Government Spokesman informed the Chinese
diplomat about the collapse of the UN-led peace talks in The Hague, caused
by the intransigent stance of the Turkish Cypriot leader and Ankara. He
also briefed him on the recent maneuvers of the Turkish side, which were
done in an effort to improve its negative image in the international scene
following the collapse of the talks.
Mr Chrysostomides added that the current situation of the partial lifting
of restrictions on movement did not withdraw the occupation faits-accomplis,
and was not a solution of the Cyprus problem. China's Ambassador fully
agreed with the aforementioned view.
[03] Cyprus has lowest unemployment rate among acceding countries
Cyprus has the lowest unemployment rate among the EU acceding countries and
one of the lowest rates among the eurozone member states, according to
official data of the European Union's Statistical Information Service
(Eurostat), for the month March 2003. Cyprus, with a 4,1% unemployment rate,
ranks last among the other nine acceding countries. It further has one of
the lowest rates among the eurozone countries and the 15 EU member states,
of which the average unemployment rates for March 2003 reached 8,7% and 7,
9% respectively. According to Eurostat data, Cyprus' unemployment rate for
males was 3,1% and 5,4% for females. Both figures were lower than the
equivalent average rates of both the eurozone and the EU "15".
From the Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office (PIO) Server at http://www.pio.gov.cy/
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