Sir,
Having lived and worked here in Moscow for several months and knowing the country very well from many previous visits, I am amazed at the apparent ignorance and naivety of so many people in Cyprus about the reality of what life in this country is really like, and even more worried that they seem to admire its current political situation as a good example to follow, at least if recent statements from some politicians and officials are to be believed!
The EU (which Cyprus so frequently implicates should be involved in solving the political problem) and many other foreign countries are already deeply concerned at what they correctly see as a rapidly developing authoritarian regime, rather than a country whose government adopts western principles of democracy and transparency.
Corruption, graft and cynicism here are rampant and the gap between a tiny and provocatively wealthy elite and the vast majority of the population who still live in third-world conditions, is widening dangerously. In addition, rampant health and ecological problems, including a pending AIDS epidemic, which the authorities here have neither the resources or the experience to deal with, will reek terrible vengeance on an already seriously declining population.
Concerning the much over-hyped Russian tourist market to Cyprus, everyone knows this has been declining for several years and not because of EU visa rules, as the CTO tries to explain, but simply because Cyprus has become as prohibitively expensive for the small number middle-class Russians who can afford foreign holidays as it has for those from the UK and other larger markets.
In reality, over one million Russians visit Turkey every season because it is cheaper and better value in so many other ways for them, while around 80,000 maximum visit Cyprus and quite a large number of those now use private accommodation, rather than organised package tours, having wisely learned how to save money.
Turkey has mega business investments here, and no way will Russia sacrifice these to help the Greek Cypriots. The island also has a very bad reputation for cabarets and the behaviour of many Cypriot men who do come here during their “after business” activities confirms this.
So wake up Cyprus, unless you want to wake up one day to find yourself living under a similar regime as the Russians. Perhaps the fact that neither country has yet learned to face up to its past is another very worrying example of similarities – such places cannot progress, either socially or culturally and indeed may be in danger of repeating their mistakes.
MS, Moscow
