Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 96-12-31

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

CONTENTS

[01] Vorvolakos remains National Guard Commander

[02] Takis Kyriakides new Cyprus Airways boss

[03] Cyprus Stock Exchange

[04] President's New Year's Message

[05] Military buildup to continue, President says

1040:CYPPRESS:01

[01] Vorvolakos remains National Guard Commander

The Council of Ministers decided Monday to extend Vorvolakos' service, which ends in February 1997, for another year.

This is the second time that the current Commander's service contract is being renewed, as his initial contract ended in February 1995.

Vorvolakos, from Greece, assumed service as Commander of the National Guard in January 1994.

It is believed that his service has been extended due to his personal involvement in the implementation of joint defence pact, agreed upon by the governments of Cyprus and Greece in November 1993.

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

CNA AP/GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1100:CYPPRESS:02

[02] Takis Kyriakides new Cyprus Airways boss

Kyriakides, 55, Chairman of the Cyprus International State Fairs Authority, succeeds Vassilis Rologis, who was recently elected as President of the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KEBE).

The new Cyprus Airways chief studied economics in England and specialised in political science and law.

He was born in 1941 in the Turkish-occupied village of Trikomo and now lives in the southern coastal town of Limassol. He is married to Thekla Georgiou Lordou and is a father of three daughters.

CNA AP/GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1320:CYPPRESS:04

[03] Cyprus Stock Exchange

CSE All Share Index                    82.25 (+0.23)

Sectural Indices

Banks                                  91.72 (+0.10)
Approved Investment Companies          74.82 (+1.04)
Insurance Companies                    58.31 (+0.50)
Industrial Companies                   82.36 (-0.31)
Tourist Industries                     72.57 (+3.42)
Commercial Companies                   61.93 (-0.15)
Other Companies                        66.33 (-0.72)

Trading Volume                         CYP 888839.520

CNA GP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1430:CYPPRESS:04

[04] President's New Year's Message

The President has also made it clear that he is ready to respond to initiatives on Cyprus in a positive and constructive manner to facilitate a just settlement.

In his New Year Message, President Clerides wished everybody ''good health, happiness and progress'' and made a special reference to his ardent desire to see the humanitarian issue of persons listed as missing in Cyprus, since the 1974 Turkish invasion of the island, solved.

Assuring the people of Cyprus that he will do all he can to facilitate the peace effort, the President said ''I would also like you, and everybody else, to know that I shall not make any concessions that would not safeguard the future of our children in the land of our forefathers.''

President Clerides said any solution should secure the fundamental freedoms and human rights, rid Cyprus of the Turkish occupation troops and settlers and create such conditions, within the context of a workable constitution, which would allow Greek Cypriots, Turkish Cypriots, Armenians, Latins and Maronites to live together on the island.

''Let us all join our prayers for health and prosperity and say a special prayer for an end to the drama of the families of those missing,'' the President concluded.

CNA MM/AP/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1635:CYPPRESS:05

[05] Military buildup to continue, President says

He also said that the Turkish side has not shifted its positions on the fundamental aspects of the Cyprus question (constitution, guarantees, territory, sovereignty, security).

Speaking during visits to National Guard posts along the demarcation line, the President said ''I give you my word of honour, as Glafcos Clerides, as President of the Republic of Cyprus and as a Cypriot, that we shall not, no matter what the threat, alter the arms purchasing programme which we believe to be essential for our defence.''

Replying to press questions, the President said ''our defence capability has more than doubled due to proper training of our armed forces, the National Guard, and to the arms acquisition programme we have implemented.''

He said more attention is given to securing air cover from raids but refrained from disclosing any further details.

Referring to moves around the Cyprus question, Clerides said some ground work, in anticipation of fresh initiatives on Cyprus, has been covered, but acknowledged that ''the Turkish side has not given any indication of any change in its positions on the fundamental aspects that make up the Cyprus problem.''

The President said he expects to be in Athens in January to discuss with the Greek government various ideas that have emerged from recent meetings of the island's political leadership and from contacts with the Greek government.

Asked to comment on the continuing provocative actions of the Turkish occupation troops, mostly along the cease-fire line, the President expressed the view that these aim at proving that the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities cannot live together.

''We should not follow their example and respond in kind with similar provocative actions, because this is exactly what the Turkish Cypriot leader is seeking to achieve,'' the President explained.

In the past several months, four unarmed Greek Cypriots have been killed by Turkish troops in the UN controlled buffer zone, and shots have been fired at passers-by and houses near the buffer zone.

Referring to a US-backed proposal for a ban of Greek and Turkish overflights in Cyprus, the President said he is not prepared to discuss the proposal, unless Turkey drops its demand to repeal any agreement reached on the ban at will.

CNA MM/1996

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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