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People wait in a long queue outside a branch of the COOP Bank in Nicosia, Cyprus, 28 March 2013. Photo by EPA/BGNES
Restrictions on cash withdrawals, money transfers and the movement of cash in and out of Cyprus could remain in place for a month, the foreign minister says.
Ioannis Kasoulides said capital controls would be lifted gradually, appearing to contradict earlier estimates that curbs would end in days.
He spoke at the end of a first day of operations in almost two weeks for the country's crisis-hit banks.
Earlier, the president praised Cypriots who queued in orderly fashion for cash.
Nicos Anastasiades hailed the country's "maturity and responsibility" on a day that saw many wait to access their cash.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the ministry of finance insisted the capital control measures were temporary and were needed to "safeguard the stability of the system".
They would be reviewed each day, the ministry said.
But Kasoulides, the foreign minister, appeared to contradict this in remarks to reporters on Thursday.
"A number of restrictions will be lifted and gradually, probably over a period of about a month according to the estimates of the central bank, the restrictions will be fully lifted," Reuters quoted him as saying.
The severe new rules have been imposed to prevent a torrent of money leaving the island and credit institutions collapsing.
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