Cyprus Mail: News Articles in English, 01-06-26

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From: The Cyprus Mail at <http://www.cyprus-mail.com/>

Tuesday, June 26, 2001

CONTENTS

[01] Neophytou: private investment the way for airport development

[02] A happy reunion

[03] Rescue teams rush to clean up chemical leak

[04] Amathous being 'wrecked by developers'

[05] Papapetrou backs rapprochement as critics slam Papandreou

[06] Probe launched over leaked documents about SBA

[07] Missing man found wondering in the woods

[08] Skeleton found in Paphos village

[09] Man held over Trahoni stabbing

[01] Neophytou: private investment the way for airport development

PARLIAMENT'S intervention yesterday failed to bridge the gap between unions and the government over the future of the island's two airports.

Unions have been threatening to strike in protest at the state going ahead with seeking tenders for strategic private investors to take over the running of Larnaca and Paphos airports.

A joint session of the House finance and communications committees was called yesterday to examine the hot issue. Communications Minister Averoff Neophytou and unions SEK, PEO and PASYDY simply reiterated their divergent positions to the deputies, failing to avert the threat of industrial action.

Neophytou laid out the government's argument in favour of bringing in strategic investors. He said the private investors would pay for extending and upgrading the two airports. This would cost around £200 million, cash which the state could not borrow without jeopardising the island's accession course by diverging from Maastricht criteria, the minister warned. He said the strategic investor would get to run the airports for a period of 20 to 25 years, but the state would remain the sole owner of the terminals and would still be in charge of security and customs.

Private investors would have the upgrading job done by 2003, for Paphos airport, and by 2004, for Larnaca airport, Neophytou said. "If the government has to do the job then bureaucracy of the state machinery and past experience suggest the cost might end up doubled and we would not be finished before 2010," the minister told the joint committee.

The rights of all airport workers would be protected, he said, adding that the European experience was that airport privatisation created more, not fewer, jobs.

But PASYDY, PEO and SEK said they were totally against the strategic investor idea, describing it as a "sell-off" of public wealth.

PASYDY chief Glafcos Hadjipetrou cited a Development Bank report that he said argued against bringing private investors in to run the airports and stated that Larnaca airport was a profitable operation as it was.

Minister Neophytou countered that Larnaca airport might be profitable, but Paphos airport was not.

Bambis Kiritsis, leader of PEO, said bringing in strategic investors would create a "private monopoly" which would harm workers' interests.

The chairman of the finance committee, Marcos Kyprianou, said that the whole issue should be cleared up before the summer's end so that potential investors knew where they stood, and the government's good name was preserved.

The government plans to pick out four or five contenders for the airport tenders by the end of August. These companies will be supplied with final tender details by mid-September and will then be given till December 20 to submit their final offers. The government will make its final decision two or three months later, the minister said yesterday.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[02] A happy reunion

A 98-YEAR-old man has been reunited with his beloved housekeeper after a misunderstanding with the Interior Ministry forced her to leave Cyprus.

Alexandros Nicolaides employed 44-year-old Elena Chakhovets from Belarus over seven years ago, after he met her while on holiday in her hometown.

Nicolaides has no family and needs Chakhovets to be with him constantly because of his failing eyesight and hearing.

"Elena has been living with me and taking care of me since she arrived in Cyprus in January 1994. She looks on me as her father," a smiling Nicolaides told the Cyprus Mail, clearly delighted to have her back on the island.

He had been appealing to the Ministry of Interior since August 2000 to extend Chakhovets' permit and to apply for a permanent visa, but to no avail.

Nicolaides even transferred ownership of his house to her name in recognition of her service and in an effort to prevent her from being deported.

But at the end of February, Immigration police stormed the house and took Chakhovets to their headquarters planning to deport her, but could not as she had lost her passport. When she found it she left of her own accord.

"We never received an answer concerning the visa," she said. "They told me they were not arresting me but that I had to leave and to reapply for the visa from Belarus."

That's exactly what she did, buying a plane ticket to Belarus on March 3. When she tried to apply to come back to Cyprus, she discovered she had been stop listed.

Nicolaides and Chakhovets are still at a loss as to why she was put on the stop list. Official answers regarding the visa application came much later after she had left Cyprus.

After countless efforts Nicolaides' lawyer, Nicos Clerides, decided the best way to get things moving was for Nicolaides to publicise his case by appearing on the Sigma chat show presented by Demetris Mamas.

Clerides and his client put their plight to Mamas, who brought them together with George Theodorou from the Interior Ministry. Together, they enabled Chakovets' return.

Chakhovets said she had been very touched by the response from strangers who had seen the Mamas show and called in to express their sympathy.

On June 9, Chakhovets arrived in Cyprus to be reunited with Nicolaides and to continue taking care of him.

"Cyprus has become my second home because of Mr Alexandros. We live rather harmoniously and fortunately for both of us, we have common interests," Chakhovets said.

"I have to thank everyone who helped me. Our lawyer Mr Clerides, Mr Mamas and Mr Theodorou from the Interior Ministry who realised the mistake and helped us," she said.

Chakhovets has now applied for a permanent residency visa and although she has not received an official answer she has been assured her request will be granted.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[03] Rescue teams rush to clean up chemical leak

Wearing special protective clothing, experts cleaned up the leaked chemical from the detergents warehouse on Xina Street before the toxic fumes escaped into the air.

Area fire chief Andreas Nicolaou said they had received the call at around 9.30am and rushed to the scene. "We sent a specially trained unit to the area immediately and they took all the necessary measures for the safety of the residents," Nicolaou said. "Fortunately the amount of fluid spilled was small and we stopped the leak."

He added that if the fumes had escaped they would have caused breathing difficulties for anyone coming into contact with them.

Formalin is an aqueous solution containing 37-50 per cent formaldehyde and 6-15 per cent alcohol stabiliser.

Formaldehyde destroys bacteria, fungi, moulds, and yeast. As a fungicide, its greatest commercial use is as a disinfectant because of its strong bactericidal properties. Formaldehyde is also used in numerous cosmetic preparations including some shampoos.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[04] Amathous being 'wrecked by developers'

DIKO deputy Marios Matsakis yesterday blocked the Amathous coastal road in Limassol for an hour, protesting against the "pillage" of the area's ancient heritage by unscrupulous developers.

The outspoken deputy parked his car across the road at 11am, creating traffic congestion on the busy coastal road.

Matsakis accused the government and its ministers, along with the Ayios Tychonas Board, of facilitating private interests.

"While the big sharks construct businesses upon the area's ancient monuments, the properties of small property owners have been appropriated without compensation," Matsakis charged.

In a letter to President Glafkos Clerides yesterday, Matsakis said that priceless antiquities at Amathous near Limassol were being destroyed for the sake of tourism development with the consent of government departments.

"For a few weeks now, unprecedented destruction and sacrilege is being perpetrated at ancient Amathous," the letter said.

Calling on Clerides to intervene immediately to stop the bulldozers, Matsakis said "whole areas of the superb ancient town" were being destroyed "in the name of tourism development and short-term and easy profit".

"This is being done with the blessing of all relevant ministries, ministerial departments and local authorities," the deputy stated.

The massive Amathous archaeological site, on the coast east of Limassol town has already been developed for tourism to some extent.

Matsakis suggested saving Amathous was vital for the survival of Cypriot Hellenism: "Mr President, in a semi-occupied homeland, a people who do not respect their ancestors cannot hope to have a future."

The Green party backed-up Matsakis' protest, saying the bulldozers had yesterday moved in to wreak more destruction at the ancient site.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[05] Papapetrou backs rapprochement as critics slam Papandreou

THE government yesterday rubbished suggestions that the Cyprus problem was being given the cold shoulder in new Greco-Turkish rapprochement efforts.

Newspaper reports yesterday criticised Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou for dancing and joking around with his Turkish counterpart Ismail Cem than discussing the Cyprus issue during talks in Greece and Turkey at the weekend.

But Government Spokesman Michalis Papapetrou said yesterday that the agreement reached between Athens and Ankara to tackle important matters was a development that could lead to a new momentum on the Cyprus issue.

Papandreou and Cem agreed on a series of measures, including establishing a hotline to deal with major concerns.

"The government agrees with the policy of rapprochement between Greece and Turkey and their attempt to agree on low-key policy issues in order to create a better climate with a view to primarily tackle pivotal issues, under improved circumstances," Papapetrou told his daily press briefing.

He said the Cyprus government has repeatedly expressed its agreement with this policy.

Commenting on the claims that the Cyprus problem was being "placed on the shelf" for the sake of Greco-Turkish rapprochement, Papapetrou said the government did not share this view.

"On the contrary, the government believes that the policies followed by Nicosia and Athens are such that have given a new momentum to the Cyprus question," he said. "This is crystal clear when it comes to our accession course for the European Union."

Papapetrou said Papandreou had not yet briefed the government on the outcome of his talks with Cem. The Greek foreign minister was on his way to Brussels for a meeting of the EU General Affairs Council.

On Saturday, Papandreou and Cem met on the Greek island of Samos and on Sunday the two Foreign Ministers continued their meeting at Koumantasi, Turkey. Papandreou and Cem then travelled to the ancient Greek site at Ephesus in modern-day Turkey.

Speaking after their meeting in Samos, Papandreou said the policy of rapprochement had been successful and must continue.

Cem said that as the feeling of security between the people of Turkey and Greece was reinforced, the political climate of war would fade away.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[06] Probe launched over leaked documents about SBA

THE GOVERNMENT has launched a probe into the actions of a Foreign Ministry official who allegedly leaked documents to the press on the status of the British bases following Cyprus` EU accession.

Government Spokesman Michalis Papapetrou yesterday confirmed that an investigation would take place after a Foreign Ministry document on the bases issue was leaked to two Sunday newspapers.

The document, which examines the status of the bases vis-a-vis Cyprus` entry to the EU, was leaked even before it had been processed by the Attorney-general's office, Papapetrou said.

Both Greek-language papers on Sunday listed several options on the bases, which were contained in the document, but Papapetrou said that for the government, the status of the bases was not an issue.

He said the bases issue had many parameters, which to a great extent were purely legal.

"The issue of the Sovereign Base Areas (SBA) in Cyprus, which accord them military bases status, was discussed and agreed in 1959 and 1960," he said. "The British, with the Treaty of Establishment withdrew their sovereignty from the territory described as the Republic of Cyprus and kept their sovereign rights within the area set out in the Treaty."

Papapetrou also dismissed calls by New Horizons leader Nicos Koutsou to have the issue discussed at the National Council or the House.

"The National Council is not the best place to discuss legal issues concerning the bases and neither is the House," Papapetrou said. "The less we discuss the issue the better," he added.

The issue was a hot topic last week during the visit to Cyprus of the European Commission's Chief Negotiator Leopold Maurer. Foreign Minister Yiannakis Cassoulides said at the time there were two solutions to prevent the British Bases from becoming an external border of the EU after Cyprus joins the bloc.

At present, the bases are excluded from Britain's membership of the EU. If Cyprus joins, they could theoretically end up in limbo.

Cassoulides said moves would either be made for the SBA to join the EU, or special arrangements would be negotiated to prevent Bases residents and employees from being excluded from EU benefits.

Maurer visited the bases to discuss the technical aspects of the issue with the British authorities. Afterwards he said the EU was looking at the tax and customs system in the SBA as the EU was concerned to avoid a "leakage" of untaxed goods from the SBA to the Republic.

Maurer said he did not expect any problems with the SBA after accession, adding that there must be common understanding between the two sides.

Diplomatic talks on the matter will begin shortly between London and Nicosia. Cassoulides said the talks would not challenge the substance of the Treaty of Guarantee.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[07] Missing man found wondering in the woods

A NICOSIA man found wandering in the Paphos forest after disappearing from his home last Tuesday said he had enjoyed a "good break" in the pine woods.

A police search was launched on Thursday last week after the family of 30- year-old Panayiotis Costa said he had not been seen since Tuesday, when he drove off from his Lakatamia home.

The search focused on the remote Paphos forest after a local villager said he had seen a man matching Panayiotis' description parking his car in the woods and walking off down a forest track. Police asked for the public's help in finding Panayiotis, noting that the missing man suffered from psychological problems.

Panayiotis was eventually found wandering in the Agvia area of the Paphos forest by a forestry officer at about 5.30pm on Sunday. He was taken to Paphos hospital for a medical check-up, cheerfully telling reporters waiting for him at the hospital that he had "had a good holiday" in the forest.

The health checks found no problems and Panayiotis' brother, Costas, said his sibling had "gone to the forest to calm down". Costas, who had spent the past few days out in the forest searching for Panayiotis, thanked all who had helped in the search.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[08] Skeleton found in Paphos village

HUMAN remains were found in a former Turkish Cypriot village outside Paphos on Saturday night, but have not been identified.

The owner of the house Michalis Sparsis and his friend Nicos Hadjipetrou were digging in the garden at Stavrokonnou village to plant trees when they discovered what looked like a human skull. They dug around the area and discovered a skeleton, which was still intact, and phoned the police.

Police investigations confirmed that it was a human skeleton and that it had been buried in a hurry.

Police have closed off the area around the skeleton until state pathologists could perform an autopsy to determine its identity. The autopsy is expected today.

The area was manned by Turkish Cypriot militiamen before 1974. The body is thought to have belonged to a young man.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

[09] Man held over Trahoni stabbing

A 26-YEAR-old Limassol man wanted by the Episkopi Sovereign Base Area (SBA) police in connection with the stabbing of another man at the village of Trahoni was yesterday taken into custody, an SBA police spokesman said.

A second man wanted in the same case, the 26-year-old's brother, was still at large.

SBA and Cyprus police issued warrants for the two brothers last Wednesday after they allegedly attacked a 30-year-old man thought to be having an affair with the 26-year-old's estranged wife.

The incident happened at 1.30pm on Wednesday in the village of Trahoni on Sovereign Base Area territory.

Reports said the 30-year-old was visiting the woman at her house when her estranged husband and his brother attacked him.

The brothers allegedly attacked the man with a knife and a club after a heated argument.

The man was stabbed several times and hit on the head and other parts of his body with the club.

According to an SBA police statement, the 30-year-old drove himself to Limassol hospital where doctors found that he had seven non-threatening stab wounds along with numerous bruises and lacerations.

The 26-year-old suspect has allegedly admitted that he stabbed the man, while police said they were investigating charges of armed robbery against the two brothers.

No further detail has been released.

The man will be brought before an SBA court today.

Copyright Cyprus Mail 2001

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