BEIJING, March 29 (Xinhuanet) -- Cyprus’s Foreign Minister says the government’s regime of capital controls on its banks is expected to remain in place for "about a month."

The minister’s remarks come after Cypriot banks opened their doors on Thursday for the first time in almost two weeks. They were closed to avert a run on deposits.The banks are only open between mid-day and six in the evening, and with strict controls on capital outflow.

Daily cash withdrawals are limited to 300 euros per person, and no checks can be cashed. Foreign transactions are capped at 5,000 euros and require supporting documents. Banks were closed on March 16th, as the country’s politicians scrambled to come up with a plan to raise 5.8 billion Euros.

The money was needed to qualify for a 10 billion Euro bailout package from fellow Euro partners and the IMF. The deal was finally reached in Brussels early on Monday. It imposes stiff charges on deposits of over 100,000 Euros in the country’s two largest banks, Laiki and Bank of Cyprus.

(Source: CNTV.cn)