Search
/ 'Nuclear smugglers transit through Cyprus'
/
THE CONTROVERSY surrounding food imports from Belgium continued to be given
first-page prominence as was the latest speculation relating to the Cyprus
peace efforts.
_Politis
_ avoided both issues, leading with a report that alleged that the US
considered Cyprus to be one of the world's most popular transit stations
for the smuggling of nuclear material. State-of-the art electronic
equipment that can detect nuclear materials and radiation had been
installed at Larnaca airport and Limassol port for this reason.
The paper also claimed that a nuclear reactor had been found in a container
that was passing through Larnaca airport. The reactor had arrived from the
Ukraine and was thought to be destined for Iran. The reactor was impounded
and is still at Larnaca airport.
_Haravghi
_ complained that two weeks after the breakout of the dioxin scandal, the
Cyprus authorities had still not been informed by the Belgian authorities
as which to products were safe and which were not. The Co-ordinating
Committee for Public Health has been trying to find out which products had
been produced at units or from raw materials contaminated by dioxin.
Once the Committee is informed by the Belgian authorities, it will order
the destruction of unsuitable products. Other Belgian products will remain
in storage until evidence proving that they do not contain dioxin is
provided.
_Machi
_ reported that the Public Health Committee had adopted a series of
suggestions about handling the dioxin issue that were based on the
guidelines from the EU, which has decided to lift the embargo on Belgian
products as long as they carry a "certificate of suitability".
Some additional measures were also expected to be taken by the Cyprus
authorities, which would have to lift the embargo if they were to align
themselves with the EU.
_Phileleftheros
_ said the Cyprus problem would be discussed by President Clinton and the
EU Troika (Germany, Austria and Finland) in Bonn next Monday. Clinton, who
will be touring European capitals, is also expected to raise the issue of
Turkey's relations with the EU during his meeting. Cyprus will feature as
part of this discussion in view of autumn's diplomatic initiative.
The US-EU meeting will take place immediately after the weekend summit of
the G8. According to a US official, Cyprus is not on the G8 agenda, which
includes some 20 topics.
_Alithia
_ reported that the Turkish side had rejected the involvement of both the
G8 and the US in the Cyprus peace efforts. According to a Turkish newspaper,
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit had written to Bill Clinton to question US
interest in Cyprus. "We find it difficult to understand why the Cyprus
issue is of such concern to you," Ecevit reportedly said in his letter.
The paper also quoted Turkey's minister for Cyprus affairs Sukru Gurel
backing Rauf Denktash's opposition to G8 involvement in the peace process.
_Simerini
_ gave prominence to the feud between Disy deputy Christos Pourgourides and
lawyer Pavlos Angelides. The latter called on the deputy to resign because
he said he had behaved unethically; Pourgourides had used his position as
deputy to amend a law that would have otherwise led to the sentencing of a
client of his law firm.
© Copyright Cyprus Mail 1999
