The Government will stand by all those affected by foot-and-mouth disease, President of the Republic Nikos Christodoulides said on Tuesday, in statements made while heading to his meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader Tufan Erhürman.
He also referred to possible illegal activities that appear to have contributed to the current situation and confirmed that exports of key products, including milk and halloumi, continue without restrictions.
Measures taken since December
Asked how the Government intends to handle the issue, President Christodoulides stated that specific measures were taken by the Veterinary Services from the very first moment, in December, when the problem emerged in the areas not under the effective control of the Republic.
He said that, based on an initial briefing he had received, there appear to have been possible illegal activities which led to the very difficult situation that now has to be managed.
Commitment to affected stakeholders
“The Government will stand by all those affected in every respect. I want to make this clear. We will stand by all those affected,” the President said.
Exports continue without restrictions
President Christodoulides added that, despite the current situation, exports of products produced in Cyprus continue as normal, particularly milk and halloumi, which is a significant export product of the Republic of Cyprus, without any problems or restrictions.
Source: CNA