Nicosia (AFP)
Cyprus has obtained aid of 1.2 billion euros from the European Union to revive its economy after the Covid-19 pandemic, the President of the European Commission announced on Thursday.
Ursula von der Leyen, visiting Nicosia, the capital of the Mediterranean island, announced the approval by the European Union (EU) of the reforms presented by Cyprus with a view to obtaining financial assistance under the Plan of European relaunch "NextGenerationEU" ("The next generation of the EU").
Cyprus will not need to repay this aid, which comes from a fund with a total of some 800 billion euros - an unprecedented amount - to be shared between the 26 Member States.
"This is a brilliant result," said Von der Leyen of the Cypriot reform plan.
"It will stimulate growth, modernize and transform Cyprus," she added after informing the country's President Nicos Anastasiades of the green light from the EU.
Nicosia plans to devote 41% of the funds obtained to achieving objectives related to the preservation of the environment, including the liberalization of the electricity market and the promotion of energy-efficient buildings.
It also plans to promote broadband, digital education and better access to public social security.
An additional aid of 18 million euros will also be intended for the fight against natural disasters, announced the European official who visited the site of the largest fire in Cyprus in nearly 50 years on Wednesday.
This fire, which devastated the south of the Troodos forest massif, killed four people.
According to Ms. Von der Leyen, the European plan is an "exceptional response to an exceptional (health) crisis".
Cyprus is currently in the throes of a fourth epidemic wave, in particular due to the Delta variant, with a record 952 contaminations recorded on Wednesday.
In total, the island has recorded more than 80,500 cases and 380 deaths.
More than half of the residents have been fully immunized.
© 2021 AFP