Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 96-12-03

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

CONTENTS

[01] Heaslip continues meetings

[02] US: Postponement of Greek and Turkish flights over Cyprus

[03] Conservative MP slams British Foreign Secretary

[04] UNFICYP opens liaison office in Limassol

[05] Cyprus Stock Exchange

[06] President urges OSCE to promote demilitarisation

[07] Heaslip hopes direct talks begin by March

[08] Cyprus has not agreed to a ban on Greek flights, Clerides says

0930:CYPPRESS:01

[01] Heaslip continues meetings

This afternoon he will give a press conference for Greek and Turkish Cypriot journalists, at the Ledra Palace Hotel, in the UN-controlled buffer zone in Nicosia.

On Wednesday, Heaslip will brief Ambassadors of EU member states to Cyprus and UN Resident Representative Gustave Feissel, on his contacts during his week-long visit to the island.

Heaslip leaves Thursday morning.

The Irish Ambassador will prepare a report on Cyprus to be submitted to the EU Council of Ministers.

Turkish troops have been occupying 37 per cent of Cyprus territory since 1974, in violation of repeated UN resolutions calling for their withdrawal.

CNA MCH/GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1200:CYPPRESS:02

[02] US: Ban of Greek and Turkish flights over Cyprus

The proposal, according to Cyprus state radio, was made by Southern European Affairs Director at the US State Department, Carey Cavanaugh to Cyprus Foreign Minister Alecos Michaelides and the Turkish delegation, currently in Lisbon for the summit of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

A similar proposal was made by the US official during his recent visit to Cyprus.

The Cyprus state radio quoted Cavanaugh as saying that the US wish tension on the island to be defused so as to launch their initiative on the Cyprus problem.

Government Spokesman, Yiannakis Cassoulides, who is accompanying President Glafcos Clerides to Lisbon, said the government position is that this issue is directly related to the Cyprus problem.

According to the same reports, no comments have been made on the issue by the Turkish side.

On his part, Michaelides warned against giving great emphasis on the issue of flights, noting that the presence of 35 thousand Turkish occupation troops on the island is of much more serious.

The proposal for the ban of flights was discussed during a meeting in Lisbon between President Clerides and Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis.

It was also discussed by Michaelides during a meeting with Greek Deputy Foreign Minister George Papandreou.

Meetings between the delegations of Cyprus and Greece as well as with Cavanaugh are continuing today.

According to state radio, US proposals do not only concern security issues but Cyprus' European Union accession course as well as ways the EU can assist efforts for a solution to the Cyprus problem.

CNA MCH/GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1315:CYPPRESS:03

[03] Conservative MP slams British Foreign Secretary

In statements made to London Greek Radio (LGR), Monday evening, the British MP said he is not surprised ''that the people of Cyprus are up in arms'' over the Foreign Secretary's statements, because he is ''up in arms as well''.

''I've written to Malcom Rifkind attacking him over that particular comment. I believe it was irresponsible and it failed to recognise the fact that the legitimate government of Cyprus wants to join the EU'', he added.

Replying to questions in the House of Commons last week, Rifkind said ''without a united Cyprus, the problems of accession to the European Union will be extremely difficult and very difficult to realise''.

Acting President of the Republic, House President Spyros Kyprianou and political party leaders have strongly criticised Rifkind's remarks and described them as ''unacceptable''.

The British Conservative MP said he will also be writing to the Speaker asking for an adjournment debate ''so that we can put the record straight and make it quite clear that we in the House of Commons believe that Cyprus should be allowed to join the EU, regardless of the political situation in the island''.

Marshall supported that the ''illegal regime'' in the Turkish-occupied northern part of the island should ''never be allowed to dictate to the legitimate government of Cyprus''.

He also stressed he does not believe that the Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash ''should be handed this right of veto over Cyprus' wish to become closer to the EU''.

Referring to Rifkind's forthcoming visit to Cyprus, the Conservative MP said the Foreign Minister ''must make it clear as soon as he arrives in Cyprus that the British government does not recognise the Denktash regime, that it is an illegal regime and that he is merely going to Cyprus to try and ensure that there is a solution to this long running, sad saga''.

Cyprus applied for full membership of the European Community in July 1990. It signed an association agreement in 1972 and a customs union agreement in 1987.

Turkish troops have been occupying 37 per cent of Cyprus territory since 1974, in violation of repeated UN resolutions calling for their withdrawal.

CNA MA/GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1330:CYPPRESS:04

[04] UNFICYP opens liaison office in Limassol

Speaking to CNA, UNFICYP Spokesman Waldemar Rokoszewski said the purpose is to ''maintain humanitarian activities vis a vis the Turkish Cypriot community in the region.''

''A similar office'', he explained, ''is operating in the Karpass peninsula'', to check on the living conditions of SOME 500 Greek Cypriots that remain enclaved there since the 1974 Turkish invasion of the island.

''In 1995 UNFICYP reviewed certain aspects of its humanitarian activities concerning the conditions of the Greek Cypriots living in the north and the Turkish Cypriots living in the south, in the areas controlled by the government, and a certain number of requests were made towards the respective authorities and some of them have been already fulfilled'', Rokoszewski said.

''One of the requests to the government of Cyprus was to establish UNFICYP liaison post in Limassol and the government agreed with it'', he added.

A number of government officials have been invited to the opening of the liaison office tomorrow.

CNA MCH/GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1540:CYPPRESS:05

[05] Cyprus Stock Exchange

CSE All Share Index                    81.65 (-0.39)

Sectural Indices

Banks                                  90.07 (-0.22)
Approved Investment Companies          75.21 (-0.80)
Insurance Companies                    57.95 (-0.33)
Industrial Companies                   83.32 (-0.10)
Tourist Industries                     72.30 (-0.81)
Commercial Companies                   62.38 (-0.49)
Other Companies                        69.76 (-2.50)

Trading Volume                         CYP 436302.574

CNA AP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1600:CYPPRESS:06

[06] President urges OSCE to promote demilitarisation

He has also advocated the establishment of a joint OSCE mechanism to act whenever a member-state flouts its principles.

In his address to the OSCE summit in Lisbon today, the President reiterated his proposal for the demilitarisation of Cyprus which ''would go a long way towards diffusing a constant threat not only to the security of Cyprus but also to the stability in the region.''

''It is my belief that the OSCE can promote this proposal and that it can play an important role in overseeing its implementation,'' the President said.

The proposal, submitted in writing to the UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali in December 1993, envisages the withdrawal of foreign troops and illegal settlers, the disbanding of the National Guard and the positioning of a multinational force on the island.

The President reminded the Lisbon meeting that Turkey ''not only has so far refused to comply with these clear stipulations of the code of conduct of OSCE members but, still worse, continues to upgrade and increase its military forces in the occupied part of Cyprus.''

He said Cyprus ''earnestly expects some mechanism for joint OSCE action in cases of non-compliance with the Helsinki Decalogue of Principles by a member-state.''

Clerides also backed closer cooperation between the OSCE and other organisations, such as the Council of Europe, and reaffirmed his government's commitment to developing further the dialogue with its Mediterranean partners for cooperation.

CNA MM/AP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

2030 CYPPRESS:07

[07] Heaslip hopes direct talks begin by March

At the same time, he noted that accession will be difficult without a settlement but stressed the EU will try to fulfill its engagement towards Cyprus.

Speaking at a press conference today at the Ledra Palace Hotel, situated in the UN buffer zone, Heaslip said talks between President Clerides and the Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash should take place.

Stressing the EU views he said ''we would very much prefer that an internal settlement is reached before the accession negotiations begin.''

Asked by CNA what will happen if this does not occur, Heaslip said ''then we are in another ball game.''

He noted that his instructions were to offer all possible assistance to the peace process, with a view to ensure that negotiations will be successful before the question of accession has to be taken into account.

''I do not want to speculate, but the fact is that there is a commitment on the part of the EU to begin accession negotiations six months after the conclusion of the Intergovernmental Conference,'' Heaslip added.

''We would all be in a very difficult position if, when that time comes, you have not reached a successful internal settlement,'' he pointed out.

However, he added that ''we shall have to make the best of the situation.''

Asked if he considers impossible Cyprus joining the EU divided, Heaslip said ''it would be very difficult.''

However, he assured that the EU ''will, as always, try to fulfill its engagements, but how, I do not know.''

The EU official acknowledged that Denktash had repeated his position that Cyprus's accession can only be achieved if Turkey joins the EU simultaneously, but told Denktash that this problem will arise until after the direct negotiations. ''It need not be raised as an obstacle just now,'' he noted.

Regarding his meetings with President Clerides and Rauf Denktash, Heaslip said they have given ''categorical assurances that they are preparing for direct negotiations and are anxious to engage in them and enter those talks in good faith and hopefully achieve a successful outcome.''

The EU, he added, are glad to note that the probability of direct talks between President Clerides and Denktash is coming closer.

''The basis on which the EU would like to give all possible assistance to this process, is on the understanding that the direct negotiations will lead to an internal settlement in Cyprus and that such a successful conclusion, will make it possible for a federal, bizonal, bicommunal Cyprus to negotiate with the EU, and that these negotiations will certainly begin at the end of 1997 or beginning of 1998,'' he said.

Heaslip added that there is now a period of one year in which we ''trust, hope and pray the parties in Cyprus will be able to reach a successful conclusion to the negotiations.''

Furthermore, the Irish EU representative referred to the numerous visits of eminent European officials to the island and stressed that such visits will increase, in the weeks to come, as a ''sign of the interest that the EU is taking in Cyprus and our concern that the momentum, the peace process, which has quickened recently, will be maintained, strengthened and quickened further.''

Heaslip said Clerides and Denktash ''expressed approval'' for the resumption of direct and increased contact between people from both communities.

They also discussed the progress on the military dialogue between the UN and the National Guard and the Turkish occupation forces, to put in force the ''very sensible and useful measures, involving unmanning, the carrying of live ammunition and terms of engagement and anything that could be done to improve the atmosphere between the two communities and avert accidents.''

Heaslip told reporters from both sides of the divide that during his second visit on the island, together with European Commission official Serge Abou, they made a ''deliberate and successful attempt to meet a wide section of public opinion, of public society, north and south, particularly north,'' he noted.

He said they spoke about the benefits of the EU membership, something which would be particularly appreciated in the north, not just the ''economic but also the benefits of belonging to a union which originally was set out to reconcile old and bitter enemies.''

Heaslip also said they talked with businessmen, trade unionists and various organisations from both the Greek and Turkish Cypriot sides.

''We expressed our support and offered any assistance to ensure that 1997 is in fact the year when the Cyprus problem will be solved'' and a federal Cyprus will begin negotiations to join the EU, Heaslip concluded.

Turkish troops have been occupying 37 per cent of Cyprus territory since 1974, in violation of repeated UN resolutions calling for their withdrawal.

CNA EC/AP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

2050:CYPPRESS:08

[08] Cyprus has not agreed to a ban on Greek flights, Clerides says

The President has also made it clear that a joint defence doctrine with Greece will continue to be enhanced.

According to Cyprus radio, President Clerides told US official Carey Cavanaugh at a meeting in Lisbon, Portugal, that nothing has been agreed on the US proposed ban of overflights.

The government, the President was quoted as saying, lays special emphasis on efforts to settle the Cyprus question, the start of substantive consultations to find common ground and on direct talks.

He also said the government would be ready to listen to any ideas concerning decreasing tension and it would cooperate towards this goal.

President Clerides said the defence doctrine will continue to be strengthened and noted that plans for the construction of an air base in Cyprus would go ahead.

In his remarks on the same issue, House President Spyros Kyprianou, who is also Acting President of the Republic, said Cyprus has not undertaken any obligation to end flights of Greek aircraft over Cyprus.

''Our position is that Greek aircraft fly over Cyprus legally, with the permission of the government, but flights by Turkish aircraft over Cyprus are illegal since they occur without the consent of the Republic of Cyprus and in contravention of international law,'' Kyprianou told the press here today after a briefing he had from Foreign Minister Alecos Michaelides about the Lisbon meetings.

''If substantive talks begin early next year, the government would be ready to listen to suggestions about issues relating to the reduction of tension,'' he added.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37 per cent of the island's territory. CNA MM/EC

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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