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Cyprus PIO: News Update in English, 03-11-05
From: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at <http://www.pio.gov.cy/>
[01]Wednesday, 05 November 2003 President Papadopoulos unveils new 7-year
tourism plan
[02] Foreign Minister and Commonwealth Secretary-General discuss Cyprus
problem
[03] Cyprus expresses support for concept of Olympic Truce
[01] President Papadopoulos unveils new 7-year tourism plan
The President of the Republic, Mr Tassos Papadopoulos, has unveiled a
revised strategic plan on tourism, covering the period 2003-2010 and
pledged his Government's commitment to implement it within the set
timeframe. The seven-year plan was adopted unanimously yesterday at a
meeting of all partners involved in the tourist sector. Speaking at a press
conference after the meeting, President Papadopoulos said the plan aimed at
ensuring the sustainability of the tourist industry by "improving the
quality of the tourist product and putting Cyprus back on the tourist map
as an attractive destination with a distinctive identity and unique
traits". Mr Papadopoulos stressed that the key to the success of the plan
was the maximisation of revenue from tourism, with the set goal reaching
£1.8 billion by the year 2010.
According to the plan, the increase in revenue would be accomplished with a
rise in tourist expenditure, the improvement of seasonality, an increase in
the number of arrivals and length of stay, and more repeat tourism. The
President noted that the difference between the proposed plan and previous
ones was the Government's commitment to implement it within the set
deadlines. He added that the Cyprus Tourism Organisation would be
restructured to oversee the implementation of the plan and announced the
setting up of a Ministerial Committee which would meet every fourth months
and report to the Cabinet on progress in implementing the plan. An Advisory
Committee, which comprised representatives from various factors of the
tourist industry, would also assist towards that direction.
In addition to the Government's efforts to boost tourism, the President
underlined that the private sector would also have to make its own
contribution in improving the overall tourist product. Furthermore, Mr
Papadopoulos expressed the position that the economy should gradually
become independent from the "sensitive sector of tourism", noting however
that that did not imply diminishing or sidelining its importance.
[02] Foreign Minister and Commonwealth Secretary-General discuss Cyprus
problem
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Georgios Iacovou, had a meeting
yesterday in London with the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Mr Don
McKinnon, with whom he discussed the latest developments on the Cyprus
problem. Speaking to the press after the meeting, Mr McKinnon said Mr
Iacovou had given him "a very clear and succinct update of the situation"
in Cyprus. "The Commonwealth has always stood for the people of Cyprus, and
many Commonwealth communicators over the years have assisted to that", Mr
McKinnon further said, noting that "we are now in discussions about how
best this position can be presented to the leaders at the Commonwealth
Conference in Abuja and how best the leaders can show their support to the
people of Cyprus". He added that the Commonwealth was "very impressed by
the steps that have been taken and of the fact that Cyprus is going to join
the European Union in May next year", which was "a giant step forward", and
pledged to continue talks with the Cyprus Government "to ensure that we are
all pointing in the right direction".
On his part, Foreign Minister Iacovou said the Commonwealth Secretary-
General wanted to be informed about the latest developments on the Cyprus
problem, in view of the Commonwealth Summit in Abuja, Nigeria. He added
that they had discussed, in particular, the possibility of including a
special paragraph in the conclusions of the Summit, which would reflect the
situation in Cyprus. Mr Iacovou said he had ascertained Mr McKinnon's and
the Secretariat's willingness to contribute towards a Cyprus settlement,
noting at the same time that the UN Secretary-General maintained the key
role in the peace efforts. In the evening, the Foreign Minister was the
main speaker at a dinner hosted by the Greek Cypriot Brotherhood on the
occasion of the anniversary of Cyprus' independence. British MPs, members
of the House of Lords, Euro-MPs, other officials, academics and journalists
attended the dinner.
[03] Cyprus expresses support for concept of Olympic Truce
Cyprus' Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Andreas
D. Mavroyiannis, conveyed the Republic's "strong support for the concept of
the Olympic Truce, which could be the prelude of a world free of hate,
armed conflict and acts of aggression". The idea had been included in a
Draft Resolution tabled by Greece, which was unanimously approved by the
plenary of the UN General Assembly on 3 November. Addressing the plenary
meeting of the Assembly on "Sport for Peace and Development" last Monday,
Mr Mavroyiannis stressed that "sport, peace, culture, humanism, and respect
for universal ethical principles are indeed the quintessential ideals of
Olympism", and congratulated Greece's Foreign Minister Mr George Papandreou
and the President of the International Olympic Committee Mr Jacques Rogge
for their efforts in promoting the concept of the Olympic Truce.
Mr Mavroyiannis further said that "Cyprus is proud to have been part of the
Olympic ideal since its inception, with Cypriot athletes consistently
competing in the Games in Olympia". He also expressed "unreserved support"
to the appeal for the observance of the Olympic Truce as a matter of
tradition, "as embedded in the United Nations Millennium Declaration".
"This way, each country organising the Olympic Games in the future, could
make it an imperative for this truce to be honoured in every Olympiad",
Cyprus' UN Representative added.
From the Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office (PIO) Server at http://www.pio.gov.cy/
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