Egyptian publications on Thursday received a two-month reprieve from the authorities in Cyprus to conform with a law to print on the island or lose their license there, the Cypriot embassy said, cited by AFP and local press.
Nicosia granted the reprieve after realizing that many publications had not been properly informed of a crackdown in licenses and that many jobs might be at stake, the embassy's press counselor Michalis Michael said.
"We have given them until September 15, 2001 to solve their problem," he told AFP.
In Nicosia, Maria Charalambides, Cyprus interior ministry Press Information Office (PIO) official, had said Wednesday that more than 100 Arabic language newspapers, magazines and periodicals had their licenses to publish in Cyprus withdrawn.
"These publications, mostly Egyptian, were getting a license here and then printing in Jordan, Syria or Lebanon. This is illegal and their licenses were cancelled," she added.
Within the same context, Egyptian Minister of Information Safwat Al Sherif told Al Akhbar daily that his ministry will not allow the circulation of any Egyptian publication classified as “foreign” if it is not licensed abroad and approved by the Egyptian embassy in the concerned country.
The paper quoted Michael as saying that 10 Egyptian publications including Sawtel Umma, Journal, Orbit International and An-Nahar, among others – Albawaba.com
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