E.U. Unveils Funds For Cyprus De-mining

BRUSSELS, Aug 6 (AFP) - The European Commission said Friday it had released 2.5 million euros (three million dollars) to support de-mining operations in Cyprus, the divided Mediterranean island which in May joined the EU.
The operations will first focus on the area of the buffer zone in and around Nicosia separating the island's Greek and Turkish communities, the European Union executive said in a statement.
"The mined areas are a threat for the population living nearby. Farmland adjacent to the mined areas is in most cases cultivated to within two metres of the minefield perimeter fence," it said.