The next steps in the joint venture of ExxonMobil-Qatar Petroleum in Cyprus’s EEZ which restarts end of the year with drilling in block 10 will be examined during a meeting on Friday with the American company’s officials, the President of the Cyprus Republic accompanied by his Energy and Foreign Affairs Ministers.

After years of start-stop discussions in committee, the House on Thursday passed the legal framework for opening up the electricity market – with the energy minister hailing it as the single largest reform in the sector after Cyprus joined the European Union.

No coronavirus test will be required for fully vaccinated persons who wish to visit the north from Monday, it was announced on Thursday night.

The Health Ministry announced on Thursday that COVID-19 booster shots will be available for people in Cyprus over the age of 83 as of Monday.

Cyprus held the third place in motorisation rates among the EU member states in 2019, following Luxembourg and Italy, according to data provided by Eurostat, the European Union’s statistical service.

The extent of coronavirus transmission in Cyprus may be slowing down, with government officials citing a recent decline in hospitalizations while still urging the public to remain vigilant.

The increase of the efficiency of the Tax Department, both for the collection of taxes and for the service of the public is of the utmost importance, stressed the Minister of Finance Konstantinos Petridis, during his visit today to the Nicosia District Tax Office.

With the first €157m already paid in advance from the Cyprus Recovery and Resilience Fund, the country still has a long way to go to complete the reforms and investments required to unlock the next €85m which is due to be received in February 2022. The estimated total cost of the Cyprus recovery and resilience plan amounts to €1.2 billion, but the reforms and investments must be made with the milestones that have been set, and must also be completed.

The private sector is set to lead the roll out of green hydrogen by investing in its production so that it can be used in the sectors of transport and industry.

Delta variant of coronavirus remained dominant between late June and September 12, the health ministry said on Wednesday, being detected in all the recently tested samples.