CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY, 96-05-24

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From: Panayiotis Zaphiris <pzaphiri@glue.umd.edu>

CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY, 96-05-24

CONTENTS

[01] BRITISH DEFENCE SECRETARY TO VISIT BASES

[02] SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN CYPRUS-U.S. ECONOMIC TIES

[03] BRITAIN'S MEDIATOR ON CYPRUS PROBLEM APPOINTED

[01] BRITISH DEFENCE SECRETARY TO VISIT BASES

PORTILLO WILL NOT CALL ON CYPRUS PRESIDENT GLAFCOS CLERIDES AS INITIALLY REPORTED.

PORTILLO WILL ARRIVE AT RAF (ROYAL AIR FORCE) AKROTIRI, ON THE SOUTHERN COAST, LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT. HE WILL LEAVE ON FRIDAY LUNCHTIME.

A BASES SPOKESMAN DESCRIBED THE VISIT AS ''A DOMESTIC VISIT TO THE BASES, TO SEE THE BRITISH TROOPS ON THE GROUND AND FAMILIARISE HIMSELF WITH THE BASES.''

ON THURSDAY, PORTILLO WILL VISIT EPISKOPI GARRISON AND DHEKELIA, ON THE EASTERN PART OF CYPRUS, AND THEN FLY TO THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE U.N. PEACE-KEEPING FORCE IN NICOSIA TO SEE THE U.N. BRITISH CONTINGENT, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

PORTILLO WILL ALSO CALL ON U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL'S RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVE GUSTAVE FEISSEL THE SAME DAY.

ON FRIDAY, THE BRITISH SECRETARY WILL VISIT RAF AKROTIRI BASE AND DEPART AFTERWARDS.

PORTILLO VISITED THE BASES SOME THREE YEARS AGO, THE SPOKESMAN TOLD CNA.

BRITAIN HAS RETAINED TWO SOVEREIGN MILITARY BASES ON THIS EAST MEDITERRANEAN ISLAND, A FORMER BRITISH COLONY, UNDER THE 1960 TREATY OF ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CYPRUS REPUBLIC.

CNA MM/GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

[02] SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN CYPRUS-U.S. ECONOMIC TIES

SPEAKING AT A PRESS CONFERENCE AT THE U.S. PAVILION AT THE CYPRUS INTERNATIONAL STATE FAIR, BOUCHER SAID A STRONG FOREIGN ECONOMICS POLICY IS CONSIDERED BY THE U.S. ADMINISTRATION AS ''A CORNERSTONE OF AMERICAN SECURITY POLICY.''

REFERRING TO THE CYPRUS-U.S. TRADE RELATIONS, BOUCHER SAID ''U.S. EXPORTS TO CYPRUS HAVE INCREASED OVER NINE-FOLD IN TEN YEARS, FROM 53,4 MILLION DOLLARS IN 1986 TO 480 MILLION IN 1995.''

HE NOTED CYPRUS' IMPORTANT REGIONAL ROLE AS MORE THAN HALF OF THIS AMOUNT WAS RE-EXPORTED.

''LAST YEAR THE U.S. SHARE OF CYPRUS' IMPORTS WAS AT AN ALL TIME HIGH OVER 13,4 PER CENT MAKING THE U.S. FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE NUMBER ONE EXPORTER TO CYPRUS'', ADDING THAT THE U.S. ''WILL DO ITS BEST TO REMAIN NUMBER ONE.''

PRAISING THE CYPRIOTS REPRESENTING U.S. PRODUCTS FOR THIS SUCCESS BOUCHER SAID THE AMERICAN EMBASSY MAKES EVERY EFFORT TO ''PUBLICISE CYPRUS' POTENTIAL AS A HUB TO THE NEW AND EMERGING MARKETS IN THE MIDDLE EAST, NORTH AFRICA AND THE FORMER EAST BLOC.''

BOUCHER REFERRED TO THE INAUGURATION THIS YEAR OF THE U.S. TRADE INFORMATION BULLETIN BOARD SYSTEM, WHICH PROVIDES ELECTRONIC ACCESS TO A VAST LIBRARY OF COMMERCIAL INFORMATION, AND THEREFORE FURTHER FACILITATING CYPRIOT BUSINESS PEOPLE.

THE U.S. AMBASSADOR EXPRESSED PLEASURE WITH CYPRUS' IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW COPYRIGHT LAW, NOTING THAT CYPRUS HAS NOT BEEN INCLUDED ON THE U.S. TRADE REPRESENTATIVE ''WATCH LIST'' FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS.

HE DID HOWEVER POINT OUT THAT THE U.S. ''REMAINS CONCERNED ABOUT SALES OF PIRATED COMPUTER SOFTWARE AND SOME VIDEOS'', ADDING THAT THE U.S. TRADE REPRESENTATIVE'S OFFICE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THIS SITUATION CLOSELY.''

TWENTY SIX COMPANIES ARE EXHIBITING THEIR PRODUCTS AT THE U.S. PAVILION THIS YEAR, SIX OF WHICH ARE NEW TO THE FAIR THIS YEAR.

CNA MCH/GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

[03] BRITAIN'S MEDIATOR ON CYPRUS PROBLEM APPOINTED

THE APPOINTMENT OF SIR DAVID HANNAY WAS ANNOUNCED WEDNESDAY IN LONDON BY BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY MALCOLM RIFKIND.

THE BRITISH SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE WILL BE VISITING CYPRUS AFTER THE 26 MAY PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS, AND IN THE FOLLOWING TWO MONTHS WILL ALSO VISIT OTHER COUNTRIES INVOLVED IN THE CYPRUS ISSUE, INCLUDING EU MEMBER STATES.

THE TASK OF SIR DAVID, WHO RETIRED AS HIS COUNTRY'S PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE TO THE U.N. LAST YEAR, WILL BE TO WORK CLOSELY WITH THE TWO COMMUNITIES AND THE SEARCH FOR A NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENT ON A FEDERAL BASIS AS SET OUT IN THE HIGH LEVEL AGREEMENTS AND IN THE SUBSEQUENT SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS, ACCORDING TO RIFKIND.

ANNOUNCING THE APPOINTMENT, THE BRITISH SECRETARY SAID ''I HAVE CONCLUDED THAT THERE ARE WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN AND SHOULD STRENGTHEN OUR EFFORTS TO HELP IN THE SEARCH FOR A SETTLEMENT IN CYPRUS. AND IT IS WITH THIS IN MIND THAT I AM ANNOUNCING TODAY MY DECISION TO APPOINT SIR DAVID HANNAY, A FORMER BRITISH PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE TO THE U.N. AND BEFORE THAT TO THE EU, AS THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR CYPRUS''.

HE SAID BRITAIN, AS A GUARANTOR POWER AND AS A PERMANENT MEMBER OF THE U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL, HAS ALWAYS BEEN CLOSELY INVOLVED IN INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO RESOLVE THE CYPRUS PROBLEM.

''IT'S ALL TOO EASY TO REGARD LONG STANDING INTERNATIONAL PROBLEMS LIKE CYPRUS AS A GIVEN THAT NOTHING CAN B DONE ABOUT. BUT THE STATUS QUO IS INHERENTLY UNSTABLE AND ITS UNSATISFACTORY''.

THE SECRETARY SAID THE BRITISH SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE WILL WORK IN CLOSE COOPERATION WITH THE U.N., THE U.S. AND THE EUROPEAN UNION (EU), ADDING THAT ''THE PROSPECT OF NEGOTIATIONS FOR CYPRUS' ACCESSION TO THE EU OUGHT TO BE A STIMULUS TOWARDS A SETTLEMENT, AND I AM DETERMINED THAT BRITAIN SHOULD DO WHAT IT CAN TO HELP''.

THE BRITISH SECRETARY SAID ''TODAY'S APPOINTMENT WILL NOT PRODUCE OVERNIGHT A SOLUTION TO THIS LONG STANDING PROBLEM, BUT IT WILL ENSURE THAT OVER THE COMING MONTHS A NEW EFFORT IS MADE INTERNATIONALLY, WITH BRITAIN CENTRALLY INVOLVED, IN ORDER TO EXPLOIT THE OPENING CREATED BY THE PROSPECT OF ACCESSION TO THE EUROPEAN UNION. THAT IS WHAT THE PEOPLE OF CYPRUS DESERVE AND IT'S WHAT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY SEEKS''.

THANKING THE SECRETARY FOR HIS APPOINTMENT, SIR DAVID SAID HE WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE CYPRUS PROBLEM. HE REFERRED TO PREVIOUS EFFORTS AND IDEAS WHICH FAILED TO BRING ABOUT A SOLUTION.

''...IT WOULD THEREFORE BE RATHER PRESUMPTUOUS TO SUGGEST THAT A NEW PERSON APPEARING ON THE SCENE WOULD DO THE TRICK. I THINK THAT'S NOT THE WAY THESE INTERNATIONAL PROBLEMS GET SOLVED. THEY GET SOLVED, AS THE SECRETARY OF STATE SAID, BY PERSEVERANCE, NOT BY SOME MAGIC NEGOTIATING TRICKS, BUT BY TRYING TO ADJUST THE VARIOUS BUILDING BLOCS AND TO GET A BUILDING IN WHICH THE PARTIES CAN BE ALL COMFORTABLE AND SAFE,'' HE SAID.

THE BRITISH OFFICIAL ADDED ''THAT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO ACHIEVE IN CYPRUS. IT CANNOT BE ACHIEVED BY BRITAIN ALONE, BUT IT CAN BE AND CAN, I HOPE, MAKE A REAL INPUT INTO A MULTINATIONAL PROCESS INVOLVING THE U.N., THE EU, THE U.S. AND OTHERS AND THE PROOF OF THE PUDDING WILL BE IN THE EATING. SO I WOULDN'T SAY ANY MORE NOW BECAUSE THE ONE RULE FOR ANYONE TAKING UP A JOB LIKE THIS IT IS NOT TO GIVE VERY BRILLIANT ANSWERS JUST THE MOMENT YOU START AND BEFORE YOU TALKED TO THE PARTIES THEMSELVES''.

CYPRUS HAS BEEN DIVIDED SINCE THE 1974 TURKISH INVASION. TURKEY CONTINUES TO OCCUPY 37 PER CENT OF THE ISLAND'S AREAS.

ACCESSION TALKS ARE DUE TO START AFTER THE END OF THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL CONFERENCE BUT BRUSSELS AND NICOSIA HOPE THAT A SETTLEMENT WOULD BE REACHED TO ALLOW A UNITED FEDERAL CYPRUS TO JOIN THE EU.

U.S. PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON HAS ALSO AN EMISSARY ON CYPRUS. HE IS RICHARD BEATTEY, WHO WORKS TOGETHER WITH OTHER U.S. ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS, INCLUDING STATE DEPARTMENT SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE ON CYPRUS JAMES WILLIAMS, TO FIND A CYPRUS SETTLEMENT.

AN EU PRESIDENCY REPRESENTATIVE IS ALSO WORKING IN THIS DIRECTION. HE IS ITALIAN DIPLOMAT FEDERICO DI ROBERTO.

THE U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL HAS ALSO TWO AIDES WORKING FOR A CYPRUS SOLUTION. THEY ARE THE RECENTLY-APPOINTED SOUTH KOREAN HAN SUNG-JOO, A FORMER FOREIGN MINISTER, AND RESIDENT REPRESENTATIVE IN CYPRUS GUSTAVE FEISSEL.

TURKEY HAS FAILED SO FAR TO SINCERELY COOPERATE WITH ANY FOREIGN MEDIATOR ON CYPRUS.

TURKISH TROOPS HAVE BEEN OCCUPYING 37 PER CENT OF THE ISLAND'S TERRITORY SINCE 1974, IN VIOLATION OF REPEATED U.N. RESOLUTIONS CALLING FOR THEIR WITHDRAWAL.

CURRICULUM VITAE

SIR DAVID (HUGH ALEXANDER) HANNAY GCMG WAS BORN IN LONDON ON 28 SEPTEMBER 1935 AND WAS EDUCATED AT WINCHESTER AND NEW COLLEGE, OXFORD.

HE ENTERED THE DIPLOMATIC SERVICE IN 1959. HE SERVED IN TEHRAN AND KABUL (1961-63), AT THE UNITED KINGDOM DELEGATION TO THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES IN BRUSSELS (1965-70), IN THE NEGOTIATING TEAM FOR UK ACCESSION TO THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY (1970-72), IN WASHINGTON (1984-85) AND AS UK PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE, FIRST TO THE EU (1985-90 AND THEN TO THE UN REPRESENTATIVE, FIRST TO THE EC (1985-1990) AND THEN TO THE UN (1990-1995). FROM 1973-77 HE WAS CHEF DE CABINET TO THE THEN VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE COMMISSION OF THE EC, SIR CHRISTOPHER SOAMES.

AT THE U.N., SIR DAVID WAS CLOSELY INVOLVED AT AN IMPORTANT STAGE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL'S MISSION OF GOOD OFFICES ON CYPRUS. HIS EXTENSIVE KNOWLEDGE OF THE EU, WHICH INCLUDES THE NEGOTIATIONS FOR A FIRST AGREEMENT BETWEEN CYPRUS AND THE EC IMMEDIATELY AFTER BRITISH ACCESSION, AND ALSO PREPARING THE CUSTOMS UNION BETWEEN CYPRUS AND THE EU, WILL BE OF DIRECT RELEVANCE TO HIS NEW APPOINTMENT.

CNA KPK/GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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