Cyprus News Agency 96-06-14.

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From: Giorgos Zacharia <lysi@MIT.EDU>

CONTENTS

[01] Clerides urges Security Council to take more action

[02] US to contribute to a Cyprus solution

[03] No Cyprus cabinet reshuffle

[04] Cypriot Minister addresses Habitat II in Turkey

[05] Cypriot Minister meets UN Security Council

[06] Composition of House Committees

[07] Delay in carrying wounded soldier to hospital confirmed by UN

[08] Economic sanctions should be imposed in a fair manner

[09] Cyprus and Hungary agree to combat terrorism

[10] US initiative not to be launched at present, says Clerides

1140:CYPPRESS:01

[01] Clerides urges Security Council to take more action

President Clerides was speaking to the press here yesterday after a two-hour working luncheon with the representatives of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.

He said during the meeting there was an overall re-examination of the current situation in Cyprus.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37 per cent of its territory.

President Clerides indicated that the Security Council should assume a role in a bid to reach a common ground on the basic aspects of the Cyprus problem thus facilitating a solution.

He implied that this was necessary before any new dialogue on a solution begins.

''I emphasise that one of the most important areas that must preoccupy the Security Council is how both communities in the future can be made to feel secure. The issue of security, which encompasses demilitarisation, guarantees and the creation of an international guarantor force to be stationed in Cyprus, are all matters of the highest priority for a solution'', the Cypriot President said.

He added ''If these issues are not dealt with, it won't be possible to allay the concerns and apprehensions that both communities have, nor will it be reasonable to expect that a solution of the Cyprus problem will be forthcoming''.

Also taking part at the meeting were Cyprus Foreign Minister Alecos Michaelides, Government Spokesman Yiannakis Cassoulides, Permanent Representative to the UN Nicos Agathocleous, and Marrack Goulding, UN Under Secretary-General, Department of Political Affairs.

Earlier in the morning President Clerides met the editorial boards of the ''Wall Street Journal'' and the ''New York Times''.

President Clerides was due to meet today US Presidential Emissary on Cyprus Richard Beattie.

On Monday, the Cypriot President will hold talks in Washington with US President Bill Clinton.

CNA JD/GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1150:CYPPRESS:02

[02] US to contribute to a Cyprus solution

This was said by US State Department Spokesman Nicholas Burns, who said President Clerides will be in Washington on June 16 to 18, for a working visit at the invitation of President Clinton.

He said the Cypriot President will meet President Clinton on June 17 while Secretary of State Warren Christopher will host a breakfast for President Clerides and his delegation on June 18.

''This gives the United States the opportunity to reaffirm the excellent relationship that exists between Cyprus and the United States,'' Burns said.

The State Department Spokesman added ''certainly, we will want to discuss with President Clerides and his delegation how the United States can contribute to the ongoing international effort to try to resolve the problems of Cyprus. And we'll also be willing and very eager to review a number of bilateral questions with the Cypriot delegation.''

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37 per cent of its troops, forcibly uprooting one third of the island's population.

Turkey has blocked repeated UN and US efforts for a settlement to the long-standing Cyprus problem.

CNA DA/GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1230:CYPPRESS:03

[03] No Cyprus cabinet reshuffle

This was implied here yesterday by President Clerides, when invited to comment on a statement by ruling rightwing Democratic Rally Party leader Yiannakis Matsis.

Clerides said the huge work done by the government had won the approval of the majority of the people.

A similar statement was made by Government Spokesman Yiannakis Cassoulides, who said the ministers ''retained the President's confidence.''

The Spokesman said President Clerides was satisfied with the work the Ministers have accomplished.

''According to the public pinion polls, the majority of the public agrees,'' Cassoulides added.

Matsis clarified today that he never raised a matter of cabinet reshuffle but what he said, replying to press questions, was that he was not satisfied with the work done by all the Ministers.

President Clerides came to power in February 1993. His cabinet is made up of six Ministers coming from the Democratic Rally Party and five from the centre-right Democratic Party headed by former Cyprus President Spyros Kyprianou.

President Clerides, who is the founder of the Rally Party, is now honourary President of this political party, the largest in the House of Representatives.

CNA JD/GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1240:CYPPRESS:04

[04] Cypriot Minister addresses Habitat II in Turkey

Speaking before the conference's plenary last night , Michaelides noted that ''we live in an urbanising world, where cities around the world continue to grow, resisting all attempts to limit them. Projections for the year 2025 show that urban areas are expected to be home to more than two thirds of the world's inhabitants.''

Referring to Cyprus's experiences, Michaelides noted that the tremendous progress that Cyprus achieved after independence in 1960 came to a halt as a result of the Turkish invasion in 1974, the subsequent occupation of 37 percent of the territory by the Turkish army and the expulsion of 200.000 people from their homes.

He said the settlement pattern of the country has been seriously distorted with about 175 of settlements representing 36 percent of the housing stock in the occupied area.

''The properties left behind by Greek Cypriots were distributed by the occupying forces to persons other than their legal owners, including Turkish soldiers and illegal settlers from mainland Turkey estimated at about 70.000'', he said. Michaelides noted that the process of colonisation continues.

Michaelides told the ''Habitat II'' that the government had to implement immediate measures to meet the socio-economic needs of the refugees, who represented one third of the country's total population.

Housing conditions are now satisfactory for the largest part of the population, he said, with problems such as homelessness and overcrowding ''completely unknown in Cyprus''.

He said home ownership is estimated at 64 percent and another 20 percent live in rent-free accommodation built for the displaced and only four percent of households live in what ''can be termed unsatisfactory housing''.

Furthermore, most of the housing stock is of recent construction and only 13 percent was built before 1950.

However, Michaelides stressed that there ''still continue to exist basic problems such as the difficulties of non-refugee households, mainly of low but also of middle incomes''.

''The long-term objective of the government of Cyprus regarding the housing sector, is to create conditions for the provision of high quality housing for all Cypriots'', he said.

For this reason, he said, social and economic mechanisms which contributed to the achievement of high standard of housing will be further enhanced. Michaelides referred to the Turkish occupation of part of the island, and noted President Clerides' proposal for demilitarisation.

At this point, the so-called mayor of the Turkish-occupied northern part of the divided capital Nicosia Semi Bora, who was participating in the conference as member of the Turkish delegation, reiterated the Turkish allegations that the government of Cyprus does not represent the Turkish Cypriot community.

However, Leonidas Pantelides, member of the Cypriot delegation, rejected those allegations, noting that the Republic of Cyprus enjoys international recognition.

He said Cyprus is at odds with Turkey and its occupation troops and not with the Turkish Cypriots, who are themselves victims of the Turkish invasion and continued occupation.

CNA EC/GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

[05] Cypriot Minister meets UN Security Council

He is expected to exchange views with the 15-member international body on how the Security Council can contribute to a breakthrough in the current stalemate in the Cyprus issue.

Michaelides is in New York, accompanying President Glafcos Clerides, who was due to meet here today US Presidential Emissary on Cyprus Richard Beattie.

On Monday, June 17, President Clerides will hold talks in Washington with US President Bill Clinton.

Yesterday, President Clerides had a working lunch with the representatives of the five permanent members of the Security Council, namely Madeleine Albright of the United States, Sergei Lavrov of the Russian Federation, Sir John Weston of Britain, Alain Dejammet of France, and Wang Xuexian (deputy) of China.

Minister Michaelides had a meeting with the current President of the Security Council, Egypt's permanent representative to the UN Nabil Elaraby, whom he briefed on developments in the Cyprus problem and on what the Cyprus government is expecting from the Security Council.

The Cypriot Minister had also a meeting with Russian permanent representative Sergei Lavrov.

The meeting took place within the framework of Russia's interest in the Cyprus issue.

CNA GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1330:CYPPRESS:06

[06] Composition of House Committees

The presidency of six committees goes to the ruling right-wing Democratic Rally Party (DISY).

The opposition leftwing AKEL has the presidency of six other committees while the centre-right Democratic Party (DIKO), a government partner, has the presidency of four committees and socialist EDEK the presidency of two committees.

The presidents of the committees are:

DISY: Legal (Panayiotis Demetriou), Education (Sofoclis Hadjiyiannis), Commerce and Industry (Demetris Syllouris), Health (Andreas Parisinos), Control Committee on Public Spending (Christos Pourgourides), Contact Committee (Socratis Hasikos) AKEL: Labour and Social Insurance (Avraam Antoniou), Interior (Nicos Katsourides), Agriculture (Christos Mavrokordatos), Refugees (Aristofanis Georgiou), Institutions, Values and the Ombudsman (Andreas Christou) Human Rights (Yiannakis Agapiou).

DIKO: Foreign Affairs (Tassos Papadopoulos), Finance and Budget (Alexis Galanos), Communications and Works (Nicos Pittokopitis), Green Line areas (Marcos Kyprianou)

EDEK: Defence (Takis Hadjidemetriou), Environment (Demetris Eliades).

CNA GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1500:CYPPRESS:07

[07] Delay in carrying wounded soldier to hospital confirmed by UN

''It took 25 minutes for UNFICYP to be able to get through the buffer zone because they were being shot at from the other side'', Ahmad Fawzi, acting spokesman of the UN Secretary-General, said speaking to CNA.

Commenting on why the phrase ''25 minutes'' was deleted from the final version of the UN Chief's report on UNFICYP, Fawzi said ''the fact that it was not mentioned in the report does not mean that it was deleted.''

Citing a draft UN report Reuters news agency had published extracts of it noting the 25-minute delay because of obstructions posed by the Turkish army.

''The fact that a news agency acquired a copy does not make it final and does not mean anything was dropped'', Fawzi said, commenting on the Reuters' report.

''I have not seen the copy you referred to'' he said, and added, ''all I can say is there was no deliberate deletion from the final report.''

Panayi is the seventh National Guard soldier shot and killed in cold blood in the buffer zone by the Turkish occupation army in the last ten years.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37 per cent of its territory.

CNA JD/MCH/GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1856:CYPPRESS:08

[08] Economic sanctions should be imposed in a fair manner

Speaking at a two-day seminar on ''Economic Sanctions and Exports Control: A Businessman's Dilemma'', Christofi noted that ''while sanctions were imposed on a number of countries that have violated domestic laws or the UN Charter, major military and economic powers or the UN Security Council have regrettably been unwilling to take similar measures against Turkey.''

Trade or economic sanctions are used as a ''measure of preventive and or punitive diplomacy'' against countries disregarding or defying the will of the international community, he said, noting that all UN member states have taken ''a solemn obligation to implement UN resolutions in order to protect human rights and promote economic and social advancement.''

On his part, speaking at the seminar, Attorney General Alecos Markides said that ''economic sanctions should be regarded as a peaceful demonstration against and an opposition to an unacceptable undemocratic oppressive regime'' and noted Cyprus' compliance with all UN imposed sanctions.

Markides also said that ''Cyprus had no alternative but to act unilaterally and sever economic relations with Turkey following the illegal invasion of the island in 1974''.

He noted that even though these sanctions have an adverse effect on the Turkish Cypriots they are not directed against them but against the invader. Finally he said that Cyprus looks forward ''with mixed feelings of hope and anxiety to a new era of liberalised trade, where sanctions will be imposed in a far more orderly manner to the extent only necessary for the purpose.''

The two-day seminar is organised by the Polygon Company LTD, the weekly newspaper ''Cyprus Financial Mirror'' the Cyprus Bar Association and the Chartered Institute of Bankers.

CNA MCH/AP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

2010:CYPPRESS:09

[09] Cyprus and Hungary agree to combat terrorism

The agreement was signed in Budapest by Cypriot Minister of Justice and Social Order Alecos Evangelou and Hungary's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Gabor Kuncze.

The two Ministers discussed ways of strengthening cooperation between their countries in combatting international crime, as well as the harmonization process of Cyprus and Hungary with the Acquis Communautaire.

Evangelou briefed Kuncze on the latest developments related to the Cyprus problem and the Hungarian official reiterated his country's support towards a just and viable solution.

CNA AP/MCH/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

2100:CYPPRESS:10

[10] US initiative not to be launched at present, says Clerides

Speaking to the press after a meeting with US Presidential Emissary for Cyprus, Richard Beattie, Clerides said that ''the US initiative does exist but it can not be launched before a new government is formed in Turkey.''

Answering a relevant question, President Clerides said that the exchange of views that began with Beattie will be continued at the meeting with US President Bill Clinton on Monday June 17 at the White House and with US Secretary of State Warren Christopher on Tuesday, June 18.

He also said that Beattie and US Ambassador to the UN Madeleine Albright could be coming to Cyprus in July.

Meanwhile Beattie noted that discussions have just started and that more will follow.

CNA MCH/AP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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