In 1999, Cyprus had an estimated population of 753,000 people, with a population growth rate of 0.7%. The economy of Cyprus was primarily driven by its service industry, which accounted for more than 80% of the country’s GDP. Tourism was an important part of the economy and the country also had a significant banking sector. In terms of foreign relations, Cyprus maintained diplomatic ties with most countries in Europe and the Middle East but had strained relations with Turkey due to the Turkish occupation of northern Cyprus in 1974. In terms of politics, Cyprus was a unitary presidential republic and Glafcos Clerides had been president since 1993. His government was pro-European Union and sought to improve living standards for Cypriot citizens through economic reforms. See ethnicityology for Cyprus in the year of 2018.
Yearbook 1999
Cyprus. Visit Countryaah official website to get information about the capital city of Cyprus. The Russian anti-aircraft missiles that Cyprus had decided at the end of 1998 following threats from Turkey to refrain from deploying on the divided island were reported in April to have been mounted on the Greek island of Crete. Under the agreements reached by the Greek Cypriots with Greece and with the Russian manufacturer Rozvoorouzjenije, the fully functional missiles would remain in Greek Cypriot ownership but would be under Greek control.
- Also see Abbreviationfinder.org to see the acronym of CYP which stands for Cyprus and other definitions of this 3-letter abbreviation.
In early December, Cyprus President Glafkos Klerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash held talks under UN leadership in New York. It was the first time the parties had negotiated since 1997.
The EU stated at the December summit that Cyprus could join the Union even if the island is still divided. This meant a turnaround that was made possible by Greece’s change of attitude on the issue. Previously, Greece had demanded that Cyprus be admitted as a united country. The idea is that Cyprus should be ready for membership in 2003.
Two Israeli agents, who had been arrested in Cyprus in 1998, were pardoned in August on the grounds that it was in the interest of the nation. They were both sentenced to three years in prison.
August
Military exercise in the eastern Mediterranean
August 26th
Cyprus will take part in military exercises in the eastern Mediterranean along with Greece, France and Italy. The exercises will last for three days and they will be carried out in the light of the recent conflict with Turkey. Tensions have been raised following the discovery of gas deposits off Cyprus and in the sea near Greek Crete. The conflict has recently escalated after Turkey sent the research vessel Oruc Reis to search for energy deposits in disputed sea areas.
Criminals have been allowed to buy passports from Cyprus
22 August
A leak to Qatar-based media company Al Jazeera reveals that suspected criminals, oligarchs and politicians have received Cypriot passports in exchange for multi-million dollar investments. They have thus also become EU citizens. Among the 2,500 approved passport applications from the years 2017 to 2019, about 1,000 were from Russians and 500 from Chinese. According to the sources, at least 30 of those who have applied for a “golden passport” must have been convicted of crimes or subject to legal investigations or international sanctions. Another 40 or so were stated to have high-ranking positions in their home countries. The Cypriot government is responding to the grave allegations by claiming that the criteria for obtaining a passport have been tightened since the beginning of 2019.
The EU asks Turkey to stop test drilling outside Cyprus
August 17th
The EU demands that Turkey stop its plans to test drill for gas off the southwest coast of Cyprus. The Turkish ship Yavuz, which has been searching for oil and gas deposits in the sea near Cyprus for several months, will continue exploration off the southwest coast of Cyprus until mid-September. But according to the EU, test drilling is illegal because it takes place within the economic zone of Cyprus. Tensions in the eastern Mediterranean have increased in recent times as the countries in the region have begun to compete for oil and gas discovered in the area.
