Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 96-11-20

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From: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org,cy>

CONTENTS

[01] Michael Jackson's father-in-law a Cyprus resident

[02] EU considers status quo in Cyprus unacceptable

[03] Cyprus Stock Exchange

[04] Security holds key to solution, Russian ambassador says

[05] Joint defence pact to be scrutinised

0900:CYPPRESS:01

[01] Michael Jackson's father-in-law a Cyprus resident

Gordon Rowe, 67, a former pilot for a Lebanese freight airline, lives in the hillside village of Ayios Tychonas in Limassol district.

His daughter, Debbie, wed Jackson earlier this month and is expecting his child.

CNA MCH/GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1635:CYPPRESS:02

[02] EU considers status quo in Cyprus unacceptable

Speaking on behalf of the EU, Ireland's Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Michael Hoey, called for full respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms of all Cypriots.

''We stress, in line with the Security Council resolutions, that the status quo in Cyprus is not acceptable and causes suffering to the population,'' Hoey said in his speech on the issue of human rights questions and alternative approaches for improving effective enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms.

''In this respect, the EU supports Security Council resolution 1062 of June 1996 and, in particular, paragraph 7 concerning the human rights situation in the island,'' he added.

The Irish official said ''the EU strongly deplores the recent violence in Cyprus and the disproportionate use of lethal force by the forces in the north of the island against unarmed civilians.''

On behalf of the Irish presidency, Hoey expressed deep concern at the tragic deaths recently occurred in the island and said the EU supports the UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) in its insistence on the principle that deadly force must not be used.

He also reaffirmed EU ''strong support'' for the good offices mission of the UN Secretary General on Cyprus.

''Through the Special Representative for Cyprus of the Presidency, the EU remains ready to cooperate fully with his mission and all other efforts to bring about a peaceful solution,'' Hoey stressed.

The EU Irish presidency also expressed its concern about human rights violations in Turkey, and called on the Turkish government to take action to prevent such practices and all necessary measures to ensure respect of human rights.

CNA AP/MM/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1700:CYPPRESS:03

[03] Cyprus Stock Exchange

CSE All Share Index                    82.40 (+0.02)

Sectural Indices

Banks                                  91.24 (+0.19)
Approved Investment Companies          76.01 (+0.96)
Insurance Companies                    59.97 (+0.28)
Industrial Companies                   81.43 (+0.02)
Tourist Industries                     72.44 (+0.49)
Commercial Companies                   62.06 (+0.26)
Other Companies                        72.27 (-3.47)

Trading Volume                         CYP 518885.348

CNA MM/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1945:CYPPRESS:04

[04] Security holds key to solution, Russian ambassador says

The UN and Europe, he added, would have to provide the necessary guarantees, once an initial agreement on security matters is clinched.

The ambassador, who leaves his Cyprus posting soon, also warned against the plethora of envoys engaged in the Cyprus peace process, and said this creates confusion, as the sole coordinator should be the UN Secretary- General Boutros Boutros-Ghali.

Zenkov acknowledged the current deadlock and called on the local political parties to try and present a united front, as far as a Cyprus settlement is concerned.

Speaking tonight on a private TV network, church-owned ''Logos'', Zenkov said ''security is the key to a Cyprus solution and it must cover a whole spectrum of security aspects, including political, military, economic and individual.''

All these, he said, should be discussed between the Cyprus Republic and Turkey, which continues to occupy one third of Cyprus' territory, and not the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities.

''The UN and Europe will have to provide guarantees when we have some initial results on the issue of security,'' Zenkov said.

He also noted that other matters, relating to territory, the government and the Parliament, will have to be sorted out by the two communities.

The Russian ambassador questioned the validity of current US and British moves to push the Cyprus peace process forward and noted that ''all these different coordinators create only confusion.''

''There is only one coordinator, the UN Secretary-General who has to act in accordance with the UN and the Security Council resolutions,'' Zenkov pointed out.

He even suggested that the US had essentially replaced, in a way, the UN chief and expressed ''disappointment'' in seeing Ghali's role being undertaken by others.

The Russian diplomat appeared rather pessimistic about future prospects for a solution and noted ''at present we are faced with an absolute stalemate and I see no way out.''

''But there is always hope,'' he hastened to add.

Zenkov pointed out that Russia does not oppose any initiative and assured TV viewers that Russia ''will applaud any solution that may be concluded through American or British intervention.''

''So far, separate attempts have led to deadlock,'' he said and added that ''Russia is and shall continue to stand by Cyprus and will support a just and viable solution in Cyprus.''

Russia, he remarked, would do all it can to prevent a new violation of human rights in Cyprus, similar to the 1974 Turkish invasion of the island.

In a thinly veiled appeal to the Greek and Turkish Cypriot parties, Zenkov said the Cyprus problem must be beyond any political expediencies.

''Only then, we can find a common denominator. If this does not occur, people will be disappointed,'' he told ''Logos'' TV.

CNA MM/AP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1950:CYPPRESS:05

[05] Joint defence pact to be scrutinised

''This is a very important visit during which we shall review the course of the defence pact so far, and assess planning and future prospects, '' Eliades told the press ahead of Thursday's official four-day visit by the Greek Minister.

Replying to questions, Eliades said ''we shall certainly take decisions on future steps which will surely bolster the defence doctrine, and we shall brief each other on pending issues.''

The Minister said weapons acquisition programmes are determined by the military chiefs who take into account the needs in relation to the defence pact, agreed in November 1993 provides Cyprus with air, sea and land cover from the Greek armed forces in the event of a fresh Turkish offensive.

''Very soon we shall table to the cabinet our defence budget for 1997 and the five-year arms purchase plan,'' he added.

The Greek Minister will be received Thursday by President Glafcos Clerides and have a working lunch with him.

The two men will meet again Friday afternoon.

Tsohatzopooulos will have meetings with the President of the House of Representatives Spyros Kyprianou, Archbishop Chrysostomos and National Guard Commander Nicolaos Vorvolakos. He will also have talks with the island's political leadership.

Prior to his departure, on Sunday, the Greek Defence Minister will give a press conference in Nicosia and later on he will visit the families of Tasos Isaac, Solomos Solomou and Petros Kakoullis who were killed by the Turkish occupation troops and extremists in the UN controlled buffer zone.

CNA AP/MM/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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