Alexander Downer, UN Secretary General’s Special Advisor on Cyprus, arrives on the island on January 12, in order to continue the efforts for an agreement between the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot communities on a joint declaration for the resumption of direct talks. A close aide to Downer has revealed that the UN envoy

By mid-2015, thirty-three Green Points for the collection of prunings and bulky refuse will have been set up across Cyprus, according to Minister of the Interior Socratis Hasikos. Hasikos, who met on Friday with the Commissioner for the Environment Ioanna Panayiotou, said they discussed various issues, including progress with the Green Points. The Minister said

Trade Unions SEK and PEO and the management of the recently-nationalised Co-operative financial institutions have reached a preliminary agreement for reductions on payroll costs. SEK representative Eliseos Michael told the Cyprus News Agency that the preliminary agreement between the management and the employees of co-operatives provides for a 15% reduction in salaries and other benefits.

Deposits in the Cyprus banking system declined by €138.5 mln in November 2013 to €46.17 bln, figures released by the Central Bank of Cyprus show. This is smallest outflow of deposits since January 2013, reflecting signs of stabilisation in the system, since the March €10 bln bailout which featured a haircut of uninsured deposits to

The Cyprus Electricity Regulatory Authority (CERA) chairman Giorgos Siammas has said that electricity prices were reduced by 17.5% for the average household last year. Speaking to the press on Friday after presenting CERA’s annual report for 2012 to President Nicos Anastasiades, Siammas said they discussed matters relating to the purchase of electricity, natural gas and

Cyprus recorded a rate of deflation in 2013 of -0.4% for the first year since 1964, according to data published on Friday by the Cyprus Statistical Service. In December 2013 deflation of – 2.3% was recorded for the second consecutive month, compared to a rate of deflation of -2.1% in November 2013 and inflation of

The Central Electoral Service has announced that April 2 is the deadline for the registration of voters for the European Elections of May 25. The same date applies for Cypriot citizens wishing to vote abroad. Entitled to vote are all citizens of the Republic of Cyprus who on May 25 will be aged 18 and

A report by the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) heralds the recovery of Cyprus as a tourist destination, following the disruption caused by last spring’s decisions of the Eurogroup regarding the island’s economy. The ‘Travel Trends Report 2014’ makes a brief reference to Cyprus, commenting that bookings were hit in the spring by concerns

Turkey's government said it was fending off a "mini coup attempt" by elements in the police and judiciary who served the interests of foreign and domestic forces bent on humbling the country, the EU policy news site Euractive reported. Deputy Prime Minister Ali Babacan said the ruling AK Party had in the past survived military