The Week in Cyprus, 25 Oct 2023
Collated news links of interest to ‘outsiders looking in’
Energy: Aphrodite cliffhanger. On 24 October the Government spokesperson, Konstantinos Letymbiotis, rushed to deny reports published earlier in the day saying that the government and the Chevron-led partners of the offshore Aphrodite natural gas field were heading for a deadlock. The deadline for agreement is 5 November. (Source: Cyprus Mail.) We cover energy issues in-depth every month in Sapienta Country Analysis Cyprus.
Energy: household subsidies. The government has thrown money at trying to limit energy costs in a range of measures announced on 19 October. (Source: Kathimerini.) In our end-October issue of Sapienta Country Analysis Cyprus we shall by analyzing whether it can afford it.
Economy: bumper tourism. Cyprus tourism had a bumper summer for tourism despite losing almost all of its Russian tourists. (Source: Financial Mirror.) Cyprus Airways, the newish airline that operates under the old flag’s name, said it was on track for record figures this year. We shall be analyzing tourism in more depth in our end-October issue of Sapienta Country Analysis Cyprus.
Economy: cleaning up. The financial regulator, CySEC, which has been expanding resources for inspections and issuing millions of euro in fines, warned that there will be no tolerance for non-complaint firms, indicating that an earlier practice of grace periods will come to an end. (Source: Cyprus Mail.)
Politics: security. As Cyprus sees an increase in the number of irregular arrivals of people fleeing conflict, the police are stepping up the pursuit of human trafficking rings. On 24 October they announced that they had moved on a third human trafficking ring within three months. (Sources: Financial Mirror and AP via Archyde.)
Cyprus problem: new UN envoy? The president of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, suggested on 24 October that a new UN envoy for the long-standing Cyprus problem will be appointed soon. (Source: CNA). We shall analyze what role the envoy might play in our end-October issue of Sapienta Country Analysis Cyprus.