Cyprus News Agency: News in English (PM), 97-04-16

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

CONTENTS

[01] Cyprus Stock Exchange

[02] Feissel says Ghali's Set of Ideas on the table

[03] Too early to assess progress in talks

[04] Cypriot women to meet in Brussels

[05] Improved Greco-Turkish ties contribute to Cyprus peace effort

1500:CYPPRESS:01

[01] Cyprus Stock Exchange

CSE All Share Index                    79.30 (+0.67)

Highest: 82.46 (2/1/97)
Lowest : 73.90 (30/1/97)

Sectural Indices

Banks                                  89.05 (+0.79)
Approved Investment Companies          68.54 (-0.20)
Insurance Companies                    60.32 (+0.40)
Industrial Companies                   84.14 (+1.43)
Tourist Industries                     62.73 (-1.07)
Commercial Companies                   52.53 (0)
Other Companies                        55.99 (+0.25)

Trading Volume                         CYP 2590287.235

CNA AP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1515:CYPPRESS:02

[02] Feissel says Ghali's Set of Ideas on the table

The UN envoy was speaking to the press after a meeting with President Glafcos Clerides, in the framework of UN-sponsored proximity talks between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot sides.

"We often said and it is mentioned in the report of the UN Secretary- General and the letters of the Secretary-General to the two leaders that all the elements for a settlement are on the table", Feissel said.

These are, he explained, the "High Level Agreements (of 1977 and 1979), the Set of Ideas, the UN resolutions and various things that have been discussed between the two leaders (President Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash)."

Feissel refrained from commenting on whether enough progress has been achieved in the proximity talks to lead to direct negotiations between President Clerides and Denktash, but he described the discussions so far as "good".

Asked about the course of the UN-sponsored indirect military dialogue between the Republic's National Guard and the Turkish occupation forces, Feissel said "they still have not gone where we want to go".

He added, however, that the UN will continue until the two sides get to an agreement on the package submitted by the UN and includes unmanning, unloading of weapons and the code of conduct.

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

Some 1.200 UN peacekeepers control the 180-kilometre-long dividing line across this East Mediterranean island.

CNA MCH/GP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1820:CYPPRESS:03

[03] Too early to assess progress in talks

"It is too early to say, at this stage, whether we are now closer to direct negotiations. I do not think we can say that for at least another two to three weeks," the President told the press today after a meeting with UN Secretary-General's resident representative, Gustave Feissel.

"We have just touched upon substantive issues and it is not easy to evaluate where one will end up, just as you begin discussions," the President added.

Asked if the Turkish Cypriot side has shown any sign of readiness to move nearer a settlement, the President replied "it is still too early to say."

Replying to questions, Clerides said "everything is on the negotiating table but that does not mean that discussions will be conducted on the basis of the 1992 UN set of ideas."

These ideas deal with the constitutional aspects of a federation, security and guarantee, territorial adjustments, displaced persons, economic development and safeguards and outlines the overall objectives of these ideas, namely a federal, bicommunal and bizonal Cyprus.

The President explained there may be some useful elements in these ideas, which relate to an overall framework agreement on Cyprus, and noted that "there are elements in these ideas which we have not accepted."

One of these elements is the reference in the set of ideas to one indivisible sovereignty which "emanates equally from the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities."

Asked if a section of this set of ideas could provide a common understanding between the two sides to allow direct talks to begin, the President said that would depend on whether common ground is reached "either on these ideas or on other ideas."

So far, he pointed out, there is no common ground between the views of the two sides on the fundamental issues of the Cyprus question such as sovereignty, political equality, free movement, territory, free settlement, respect of property.

"All these matters are still pending," he added.

The President disclosed that a letter by UN chief, Kofi Annan, says that the 1992 set of ideas, submitted to the two sides for consideration, UN resolutions on Cyprus, two high level agreements signed by both sides in 1977 and 1979 as well as other ideas discussed in the past are all part and parcel of the negotiating process.

Meanwhile Government Spokesman, Manolis Christofides, revealed today that the UN had given to both sides two written documents-questionnaires on the content of the discussions it has conducted with them so far.

"One of them relates to good will gestures and the other the positions on certain basic aspects of the Cyprus problem," he told his daily briefing.

He described the documents as a kind of "summary of what has been examined during the proximity talks."

Christofides said the National Council, the top advisory body to the President on the Cyprus problem strategy, will meet next week.

CNA MM/AP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

2020:CYPPRESS:04

[04] Cypriot women to meet in Brussels

The conference will be organised on the lines of a similar meeting held in Brussels between Palestinian and Israeli women, in 1989.

It was initiated by Belgian former Minister and Senator Anne-Marie Lizin and Simone Susskind and it will be attended by some 50 Greek and Turkish Cypriot women.

EU Commissioner for External Affairs and Enlargement, Hans Van den Broek, will open the conference which was funded by the Belgian Foreign Ministry. The European Commission expects this initiative will contribute to a better understanding between the two communities in Cyprus, a Commission announcement, released here today, said.

It added the meeting aims to help find a peaceful solution to the protracted Cyprus problem through bicommunal talks under UN auspices.

It also noted that last August's tragic events and the built-up of tension on the island indicate that status quo in Cyprus not only is unfair and unacceptable but also constitutes a source of insecurity and instability in the region.

The European Union (EU) has reaffirmed its commitment to start membership talks with Cyprus, six months after the end of the Intergovernmental Conference, the announcement added.

The European Commission expressed its full support to the conference of Greek and Turkish Cypriot women, noting it encourages any activities aiming in bringing the two communities together.

Turkish troops have been occupying 37 per cent of Cyprus territory since 1974, in violation of repeated UN resolutions calling for their withdrawal. CNA/NB/AZK/AP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

2230:CYPPRESS:05

[05] Improved Greco-Turkish ties contribute to Cyprus peace effort

Valletta, Apr 16 (CNA) -- Greece's Alternate Minister for Foreign Affairs George Papandreou and Turkey's Under-Secretary Onur Oymen met here today on the sidelines of the Second Euro Mediterranean Conference, which ended Wednesday.

The meeting, attended by the President of the European Union Council, Dutch Minister Hans van Mierlo, was hailed as a breakthrough and is believed to lead to further progress in the near future as well as contribute to efforts to settle the protracted Cyprus problem.

Cyprus' Foreign Minister, Yiannakis Cassoulides, who participated in the two-day conference, said the meeting was "a positive step" and added "there is no doubt that any improvement in relations between Greece and Turkey will reflect on the atmosphere in which we will handle the negotiations for a solution of the Cyprus problem."

"We wish that similar progress can be achieved soon with regard to Cyprus," Cassoulides told the press at the end of the Conference.

Asked how the Cyprus problem may be affected from such a process, the Minister expressed the conviction that it would be affected "in a positive manner, should progress on certain issues, which have strained existing differences between Greece and Turkey, be achieved."

He said the Papandreou-Oymen meeting relates to some "initial moves for contact" between the two sides to solve problems, such as the problem over the Aegean islet of Imia.

Replying to questions, Cassoulides said he did not think that the Cyprus peace effort may take second place among Greece's priority list of problems.

"We are convinced that the Cyprus problem remains the top national issue for Greece and obviously, any progress in the Cyprus question will help a great deal problems which have been around for years between Greece and Turkey relating to the Aegean," Cassoulides said.

Invited to comment on the possibility of a Greco-Turkish friendship and peace pact, Cassoulides noted "we are not there yet, and I would not like to comment on this."

In his remarks at the close of the Conference, Papandreou said he "exchanged views" with Oymen and added "I can say that positive steps have been taken."

Asked how the Cyprus peace effort is affected by this breakthrough with Turkey, Papandreou said "the Cyprus issue is an independent matter and is not related to Greco-Turkish issues."

He did however point out that improved relations with Turkey "can only contribute to a better climate in other matters, but we cannot place these two issues (Cyprus and Greco-Turkish ties) in the same package."

Asked if there was a shift in Greece's position that places a Cyprus solution in a higher priority than improvement of Greco-Turkish relations, Papandreou said "the Cyprus problem is at the core of problems between Greece and Turkey."

He also reiterated the Greek government view that relations with Turkey cannot have a "positive prospect unless the big problems are resolved."

The Cyprus question, he said, and the issue of Imia are both big problems.

Reports from Valletta suggest that Oymen considers his meetings with Papandreou as "fruitful" and has described the atmosphere at the meetings as "very good."

He is also reported to have hinted at the possibility of a meeting between Greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos and his Turkish counterpart Tansu Ciller on the sidelines of a meeting in Istanbul at the end of the month.

Cassoulides had separate meetings earlier today with his French counterpart Herve de Charette, Papandreou and Euro MP Pauline Green.

Cassoulides welcomed the conclusions of the Valletta Conference.

CNA MA/MM/AP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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