Cyprus Mail: Press Review in English, 98-12-11

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From: The Cyprus Mail at <http://www.cynews.com/>

Friday, December 11, 1998

Diplomatic missile mobilisation

ALL papers focused on the United States' efforts to prevent the arrival of the missiles to Cyprus.

Phileleftheros reported that the US was seeking the involvement of Greece and Turkey in a deal about the missiles. Washington's objective is to work out a formula for the reduction of tension, which would prevent the arrival of the missiles by an agreement signed by Turkey, Greece and the two sides in Cyprus.

The formula would cover a range of issues relating to security, that had been submitted in the past but had never been implemented. US presidential envoy Richard Holbrooke wanted to open lines of communication with all interested parties for this purpose, the paper said.

Alithia said that the international community's initiative, the objective of which was the reduction of defence spending and the prevention of the installation of the missiles, would work on two different levels in order to achieve this objective.

Holbrooke and State Department envoy Thomas Miller, who arrived in Cyprus yesterday, would be working on one level. On the other, would be Dame Ann Hercus, who is already involved in talks with President Clerides and Rauf Denktash. Hercus' efforts would receive a boost by a possible behind-the- scenes involvement by UN Secretary-general Kofi Annan.

Simerini claimed that the "fires started by the S-300 missiles have sparked intense behind-the-scenes diplomatic moves on five fronts" - Cyprus, Greece, Turkey, Europe and New York. In Moscow, Russia had made a diplomatic demarche to the US embassy over the country's attempts to scupper the missile delivery which was a commercial deal with Cyprus.

The Cyprus Foreign Ministry had received a protest from Germany, France, Italy and Britain about the missiles. And while Kofi Annan was preparing the resolution for the renewal of the Unficyp mandate, Holbrooke would be in Turkey seeking some concession on security issues that he could then present to Greece.

Haravghi published excerpts of the draft report prepared by the House Watchdog Committee, with regard to the action of Interior Minister Dinos Michaelides. According the paper, the government took great exception to the following passage:

"The behaviour of the Minister of Interior does not promote democracy, casts doubts on the prestige of the government, undermining the confidence of the public in the legal authorities, political institutions and moral order."

Machi claimed that serious questions had been raised by the fact that Greek government spokesman Demetris Repas had avoided seeing Archbishop Chrysostomos during this week's visit. Greek government officials always called on the Archbishop in the past.

The paper speculated that Repas's snub was related to Chrysostomos' views about the national issue, which the Greek government does not endorse.

© Copyright Cyprus Mail 1998

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