Cyprus-Forum.com

[cymart]

Having lived in Cyprus since 1979 and also having worked in Russia for six months in 2005/6,I was initially very surprised but now also very concerned at how naive most Greek-Cypriots are about the reality of Russia today and the dangers they are facing by associating themselves so closely with Russia and its dirty money.I would like to clarify that I have some very close Russian friends and have travelled all over the country,as well as having a reasonable knowledge of the language etc. so I am not biased against Russians by any means but just want people to understand the truth:i.e. it is run by a crooked and corrupt regime consisting of former K.G.B. members whose elite are syphoning their money abroad to invest in London and other places,including Cyprus,while millions of their people live in poverty and deprivation.The media is virtually under state control and most opposition has been stifled.Over 200 journalists have been murdered in recent years,including the internationally famous Anna Politkovskaya who I met briefly earlier last year.
Russia and Turkey have very strong economic and business links,as well as strategic interests which Moscow will never sacrifice to please the Greek-Cypriots, despite what Papad. and his cronies might like to fool themselves and the rest of the people here with.Efes is one of the most popular beers in Russia,as I saw for myself last year and if the Cypriots think they can play cold-war games by playing off Russia against the West like they did to stop the U.N. Security Council from adopting the Annan Plan just before the referendum in 2004,they are making a very big mistake!Britain supplies over a million tourists to Cyprus each year too,while there are less than 100.000 Russians who are genuine tourists-on the other other hand, over a million Russians visit Turkey!Why-because they prefer the facilities there, the better beaches and service,lower prices and lack of Pontians etc,as well as the lack of visa hassles!
Many Russians are very educated and intelligent and decent people,but they have suffered a lot and are still ruled by a vile and unjust system whose elite have no respect for anything or anybody!
Long live freedom and justice for Russia-and Cypriots, wake -up and see where you bread comes from!