CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY, 96-05-28

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

CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY, 96-05-28

CONTENTS

[01] CYPRUS-BULGARIA AIM TO INCREASE BILATERAL TIES

[02] GHALI-CLERIDES TO REVIEV SITUATION IN JUNE MEETING

[03] CYPRIOT BANK SIGNS DEAL WITH PHILIPPINE BANK

[04] NICOSIA MAYOR FLIES TO CONSTANTINOPLE

[05] BRITON SENTENCED TO IMPRISONMENT, ANOTHER ARRESTED, A THIRD WANTED

[06] PRESIDENT CLERIDEW MEETS BULGARIAN MINISTER

[01] CYPRUS-BULGARIA AIM TO INCREASE BILATERAL TIES

SPEAKING AFTER A MEETING WITH PRESIDENT GLAFCOS CLERIDES, KORALSKI SAID ''THE PRESIDENT EXPRESSED SUPPORT FOR INCREASED BILATERAL TIES, A POSITION WE FULLY SHARED.''

DESCRIBING 1996 AS A ''VERY SUCCESSFUL YEAR'' IN TERMS OF BILATERAL RELATIONS, THE BULGARIAN MINISTER WELCOMED CYPRUS' PARTICIPATION IN BULGARIA'S STATE FAIR AND HIS COUNTRY'S PARTICIPATION IN CYPRUS' INTERNATIONAL FAIR NOW ON IN NICOSIA.

''THERE ARE BIG POSSIBILITIES TO FURTHER STRENGTHEN OUR TRADITIONALLY GOOD RELATIONS AND WE MUST EXPLOIT THESE POSSIBILITIES,'' HE SAID, SPEAKING THROUGH AN INTERPRETER.

REPLYING TO QUESTIONS, HE SAID ''THERE IS A VERY GOOD BASE FOR COOPERATION IN TOURISM AND THE PROMOTION OF LIGHT INDUSTRIES. WE CAN ALSO WORK TOGETHER IN THIRD MARKETS.''

PROSPECTS FOR BILATERAL COOPERATION WILL BE THE MAIN TOPIC ON THE AGENDA OF TALKS AT THE JOINT CYPRUS-BULGARIA COMMITTEE WHEN IT MEETS SOON IN SOFIA, HE SAID.

LATER TODAY, THE VISITING MINISTER IS EXPECTED TO SIGN AN AGREEMENT ON SOCIAL SECURITY ISSUES AND THE EXCHANGE OF LABOUR WITH HIS CYPRIOT COUNTERPART ANDREAS MOUSIOUTAS.

REFERRING TO THE CYPRUS QUESTION, KORALSKI EXPRESSED THE HOPE THAT CYPRUS WILL BE REUNITED BEFORE THE END OF THE CENTURY.

CYPRUS HAS BEEN DIVIDED SINCE 1974 WHEN TURKISH TROOPS INVADED AND OCCUPIED 37 PER CENT OF ITS TERRITORY.

CNA MM/GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1430:CYPPRESS:02

[02] GHALI-CLERIDES TO REVIEW SITUATION IN JUNE MEETING

SPEAKING AFTER AN HOUR-LONG MEETING WITH THE PRESIDENT, FEISSEL DID NOT THINK THERE IS ANY SPECIFIC AGENDA FOR EITHER THE GENEVA MEETING OR GHALI'S MEETING WITH TURKISH CYPRIOT LEADER RAUF DENKTASH IN CONSTANTINOPLE (ISTANBUL) ON 5 JUNE.

NOTING THE ABSENCE OF A MEETING BETWEEN BOUTROS-GHALI AND EITHER OF THE TWO MEN, FEISSEL SAID ''GHALI AND THE PRESIDENT WILL REVIEW THE SITUATION. I AM SURE GHALI WILL BE INFLUENCED BY THE FACT THAT WE ARE NOT MOVING ANYWHERE, WE WILL HAVE VOICES OF CONCERN.''

ASKED IF THE U.N. HAD ANY MECHANISMS TO COORDINATE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE U.S., BRITAIN, RUSSIA AND THE EUROPEAN UNION PRESIDENCY FOR THE CYPRUS PROBLEM, FEISSEL SAID IT WAS IMPORTANT ''THAT WE ALL PUSH IN THE SAME DIRECTION AND SAME END.''

''WE DISCUSSED THIS AT A NEW YORK MEETING IN APRIL OF THE PERMANENT FIVE MEMBERS OF THE U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL, IT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT,'' HE ADDED.

ASKED IF THE APPOINTMENT OF A NUMBER OF CYPRUS COORDINATORS WAS A WISE MOVE, THE U.N. OFFICIAL REFRAINED FROM COMMENTING BUT PUT THIS DOWN ''A REFLECTION OF THE INTEREST OF VARIOUS GOVERNMENTS IN THE CYPRUS QUESTION.''

''IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THIS INTEREST IS CHANNELED AND HARMONISED IN THE RIGHT WAY,'' HE ADDED.

REPLYING TO QUESTIONS, FEISSEL DENIED THE CYPRUS COORDINATORS POSED A PROBLEM BUT ADDED ''THIS NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH. WE ALL HAVE TO GO IN SAME DIRECTION AND THIS IS WHAT THEY ARE ALL SAYING, THEY EMPHASISE THEY WANT TO HELP WITHIN THE U.N. FRAMEWORK. AS LONG AS IT HAPPENS THAT WAY THAT IS GOOD.''

ASKED IF THE U.N. WOULD TAKE AN INITIATIVE TO INTRODUCE MECHANISMS TO COORDINATE THESE REPRESENTATIVES, FEISSEL REPLIED ''I AM SURE GHALI HAS AND WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THIS WITH THESE VARIOUS GOVERNMENTS AND MAKE SUGGESTIONS IN THAT RESPECT.''

INVITED TO COMMENT ON REPORTS THAT GHALI IS PLEASED WITH THE INVOLVEMENT OF VARIOUS GOVERNMENTS IN THE CYPRUS QUESTION BECAUSE THEY RELIEVE THE U.N. OF A CERTAIN RESPONSIBILITY, FEISSEL SAID ''THIS IS NOT A QUESTION OF RELIEVING THE U.N. OF RESPONSIBILITY BECAUSE THE UN HAS ITS RESPONSIBILITY.''

''IT IS A MATTER OF SUPPORTING THE U.N. IN THE MANDATE THE SECURITY COUNCIL HAS GIVEN TO THE SECRETARY-GENERAL ON CYPRUS. INSTEAD OF LEAVING THE U.N. DOING ALL IT CAN BY ITSELF, IT IS HELPFUL IF GOVERNMENTS SUCH AS THE PERMANENT FIVE, AND IN THE CASE OF CYPRUS, TURKEY AND GREECE, PLAY AN ACTIVE, CONSTRUCTIVE PART IN HELPING HIM FULFILL HIS MANDATE.''

REPLYING TO QUESTIONS, FEISSEL SAID THE POLITICAL CRISIS IN TURKEY ''OBVIOUSLY HAS AN EFFECT BECAUSE THE ACTIVE SUPPORT OF TURKEY IS VERY IMPORTANT. IF THERE ARE DIFFICULTIES THERE, NO DOUBT THIS HAS AN IMPACT.''

FEISSEL SAID THERE IS NO AGENDA YET FOR A PROPOSED MEETING BETWEEN PRESIDENT CLERIDES AND GHALI'S SPECIAL ENVOY FOR CYPRUS, HAN SUNG JOO, DUE IN CYPRUS ''NOT BEFORE THE LAST WEEK OF JUNE.''

AT TODAY'S MEETING FEISSEL INTRODUCED PETER SCHMITZ, SENIOR ADVISOR WITH THE U.N. PEACE-KEEPING FORCE IN CYPRUS, TO PRESIDENT CLERIDES. HE SUCCEEDED JOHN PAUL KAVANAGH, WHO LEFT THE POST LAST YEAR.

CNA MM/GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1500:CYPPRESS:03

[03] CYPRIOT BANK SIGNS DEAL WITH PHILIPPINE BANK

ACCORDING TO THE POPULAR BANK, DEPOSITS IN THE PCIB WILL BE MADE FASTER, EASIER AND SAFER AND AT A LOWER COST THAN SENDING BANK CHEQUES.

THE PCIB IS ONE OF THE LARGEST BANKS IN THE PHILIPPINES WITH A NETWORK OF 253 OFFICERS, A POPULAR BANK PRESS RELEASE SAID.

CNA MM/GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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[04] NICOSIA MAYOR FLIES TO CONSTANTINOPLE

THE CYPRUS DELEGATION AT THE CONFERENCE WILL BE HEADED BY THE ISLAND'S INTERIOR MINISTER DINOS MICHAELIDES WHO WILL BE IN CONSTANTINOPLE ON JUNE 9 TO ADDRESS THE U.N. CONFERENCE.

DEMETRIADES WILL ALSO PARTICIPATE IN A CONFERENCE FOR LOCAL AUTHORITIES WHICH BEGINS ON THURSDAY. THE NICOSIA MAYOR WILL TAKE PART AS THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE REPRESENTATIVE FOR CYPRUS.

THE PARTICIPATION OF CYPRIOT OFFICIALS IN MEETINGS IN TURKEY ALWAYS ATTRACTS ATTENTION BECAUSE CYPRUS LIES DIVIDED SINCE THE 1974 TURKISH INVASION.

TURKEY CONTINUES TO OCCUPY 37 PER CENT OF THE ISLAND'S AREAS AND IS THE ONLY U.N. MEMBER STATE WHICH DOES NOT RECOGNISE THE LEGAL GOVERNMENT OF THE CYPRUS REPUBLIC.

CNA MM/EC/KPK/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1700:CYPPRESS:05

[05] BRITON SENTENCED TO IMPRISONMENT, ANOTHER ARRESTED, A THIRD WANTED

THE COURT HEARD THAT WHEN REES WAS ARRESTED ON MAY 15, HE PRESENTED HIMSELF AS GEORGE YOUNG AND ON ONE OCCASION DETACHED GOODS WORTH 600 CYPRUS POUNDS (ABOUT 1.200 U.S. DOLLARS) FROM A SHOP IN LIMASSOL.

THE CASE WAS REPORTED TO THE POLICE, ACCORDING TO WHICH THE BRITON WAS IMPLICATED IN ANOTHER NINE SIMILAR CASES. THE LIMASSOL DISTRICT COURT TOOK THIS INTO ACCOUNT IN SETTING ITS JUDGEMENT.

MOREOVER, WHEN HE FIRST APPEARED AT THE COURT, REES CLAIMED HE SUFFERED FROM AIDS AND REQUESTED MEDICAL TREATMENT, BUT A BLOOD TEST PROVED HIS CLAIM WAS NOT TRUTHFUL.

MEANWHILE, POLICE ALSO REPORTED THAT TWO BRITISH WOMEN HAVE BEEN DETACHING GOODS IN A SIMILAR FASHION.

RACHEL DAWN GARRY WAS ARRESTED ON MAY 8 AND CHARGED ON 15 CASES, BUT IT SEEMS THAT SHE HAS BEEN IMPLICATED IN A TOTAL OF HUNDRED.

THE SECOND WOMAN WHOSE IDENTITY REMAINS UNKNOWN IS WANTED FOR 35 CASES BY THE ISLAND'S POLICE.

CNA RG/KPK/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1940:CYPPRESS:06

[06] PRESIDENT CLERIDES MEETS BULGARIAN MINISTER

ACCORDING TO AN OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT, THE BULGARIAN MINISTER VISITS THIS EAST MEDITERRANEAN ISLAND ON THE OCCASION OF ITS INTERNATIONAL STATE FAIR, ONE OF THE BIGGEST EVENTS IN THE REGION.

PRESIDENT CLERIDES AND THE BULGARIAN MINISTER DISCUSSED THE PROMOTION OF THE BILATERAL RELATIONS IN THE FIELDS OF TOURISM, TRADE AND EXCHANGE OF WORKING HANDS.

ARALSKI ALSO MET TODAY WITH HIS CYPRUS COUNTERPART ANDREAS MOUSIOUTAS WITH WHOM THEY EXAMINED THE POSSIBILITY TO SIGN A SOCIAL INSURANCE AGREEMENT AS WELL AS A SPECIAL AGREEMENT FOR LABOUR EMPLOYMENT BETWEEN CYPRUS AND BULGARIA.

CNA KN/KPK/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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