Mr. Alain Bothorel

The EU delegation is headed by Andrew Rasbash, responsible of the Task Force of the General Directorate for the Enlargement of the EU for the Turkish Cypriots, and Alain Bothorel, Director of the EU Support Office.

Illegal BAYRAK television (18.03.07) reports that the head of the EU program support office Alain Bothorel in northern Cyprus has announced that 14 million Euros of assistance has been channelled in programs that were launched within the framework of the EUs Financial Assistance Regulation.

In a statement he made Mr Bothorel said that out of the 24 programs that have been proposed 11 of those programs have begun.

Mr Bothorel said that the EU funds will be used for improving the infrastructure, urban development projects, the human resources, transports, energy, water distribution, small and medium enterprises as well as scholarships for universities.Explaining that the tenure that was opened for the cleaning up operation of the Lefke (occupied Lefka)mining corporation was reaching its deadline, Mr Bothorel said that he will be announcing soon which company will be receiving the bid.

He concluded by reminding that companies which will be benefiting from the Financial Aid Regulation would not be liable for VAT taxes as financial assistance provided by the European Union was exempt from any form of tax.

[03] The Minister of Education of Pakistan is visiting the TRNC upon an official invitation

Alain Bothorel, President of the EU Programme Support Office, gave a speech in the opening of the Seminar in which he said that the 259 million euro Financial Support had been accepted in order to contribute to the development of the Turkish Cypriot economy.He stated that it should be used in the most efficient way.

Turkish Cypriot daily AFR0KA newspaper (20.10.06) reports that Alain Bothorel, head of the EU Support Program Office in the occupied areas of the Republic of Cyprus, said yesterday that the aim of the Financial Aid Regulation is the reunification of Cyprus, the lifting of the isolations on the Turkish Cypriots, the approach of the Turkish Cypriots to the EU and within this framework the development of the economy.Addressing the Famagusta Speeches organized by the so-called municipality of the occupied city, Mr Bothorel noted that the EU funds will be used for improving the infrastructure, supporting the development of the cities, the human recourses, transports, energy, water distribution, small and medium enterprises and scholarships for universities.Responding to questions, he said that the universities in the occupied areas will be included in the scholarships procedure on the basis of students and academicians and that they will be able to benefit from the universities in the EU.Mr Bothorel pointed out that the decisions on the issue of where the funds will be used will be taken in Brussels, but in case an investment is planned to be made in an occupied Greek Cypriot property, the European Commission will be consulting with the government of the Republic of Cyprus.When asked whether or not this is not interference in the sovereignty of the north, he replied: This depends on the situation.