Cyprus News Agency: News in English (AM), 97-04-18

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

CONTENTS

[01] US to be present in efforts for a Cyprus settlement

[02] UN papers, resolutions basis for Cyprus solution

1120:CYPPRESS:01

[01] US to be present in efforts for a Cyprus settlement

This was stressed Thursday by State Department Spokesman, Nicholas Burns, who was commenting on CNA questions regarding a US initiative for a package deal in Cyprus and the Aegean.

Burns told CNA that Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, "has asked our diplomats to be creative in trying to devise ways for the United States to be effective".

The Spokesman added the US "have taken many ideas into consideration. We are trying to do our best in developing a set of ideas that might be helpful. But we haven't come to any conclusions."

According to the State Department official "the fundamental responsibility rests with the Cypriot government, the Turkish community in Cyprus, the Greek and the Turkish governments."

Burns noted that "if we can be helpful, the European Union (EU), the United Nations (UN), the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US), we will do so. We all contribute ideas."

The Spokesman emphasized there are many people who are dealing with Cyprus but "the people in Cyprus can't look to us for salvation," he noted. "They've got to produce the political will and flexibility to make an agreement themselves, and perhaps we can play a role in that," Burns said.

Asked by CNA if that implies that the US don't have their own ideas on Cyprus he said "of course we have our own ideas, but we work very closely with the UN, the UK, with the EU, and we certainly urge all of them to be active. And we will congratulate any of them who can be successful," he added.

However, the Spokesman pointed out the fundamental responsibility lies with the people who live in the island and those who live in the region.

Asked if the services of presidential emissary for Cyprus, Richard Beattie, will continue, Burns said "he is the US President and Secretary of State's special emissary and negotiator. And he is ably assisted, of course, in that by all our ambassadors in the field, who are career foreign service officers, and all three of them very senior and excellent people."

He said Beattie is also assisted by the Director of the Office of Southern European Affairs at the State Department, Carey Cavanaugh, "who's been very active, so we have a team," he said.

Burns added when there are "any announcements to be made about people coming or going, we'll certainly let you know."

Meanwhile, speaking on the issue of a new US initiative regarding a package deal for Cyprus and the Aegean, Pentagon Spokesman, Kevin Bacon, said that "I believe that the (Pentagon) official who was talking on background yesterday said that our ambassadors to Athens, Ankara and Cyprus had met recently to discuss the situation there."

"I don't believe he said that there was a new package that had been presented to President Clinton. We continue to work very hard for a peaceful resolution of this dispute, he added.

Bacon said the US position on the issue has been explained a lot of many times by Burns and others.

"We do believe that there should be a peaceful and durable solution to the Cyprus problem. We are working towards that now. And we will continue to work towards it," he said. CNA/DA/AP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1330:CYPPRESS:02

[02] UN papers, resolutions basis for Cyprus solution

In statements after a 75-minute meeting with President Glafcos Clerides, Feissel would not confirm that he had given the President two aide-memoires, one of which outlined views of Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktash.

Earlier today, Foreign Minister, Yiannakis Cassoulides, explained that this note is not a UN document, but a paper with Denktash's proposals on guidelines emanating from a 1992 set of ideas, presented by the UN to the Greek and Turkish Cypriot side for consideration.

Cassoulides said the two memos, which caused a furore among party leaders because they were not duly informed about their existence, will be given to the leaders next week.

Feissel did not comment on the memos because of a confidentiality agreement between all three sides involved in UN-led proximity talks, expected to lead to direct negotiations between President Clerides and Denktash.

Asked if one of the two documents was from Denktash, the UN representative replied "I do not know why you say these things", and critisised the press for having "a Hollywood influence," describing this information as "imaginative".

Replying to questions, he said "the elements for negotiating a settlement are the High Level agreements of 1977 and 1979, various resolutions of the Security Council, the set of ideas and other ideas that have been discussed between the two leaders since then."

The High Level Agreements provide for a bicommunal, bizonal federation in Cyprus, and the UN set of ideas deals with the constitutional aspects, security and guarantee, territorial adjustments, displaced persons, economic development.

Feissel acknowledged that Cyprus' European Union (EU) prospect is one of the important issues of a Cyprus settlement, and is discussed during the proximity talks.

"I'm sure that as part of an overall settlement, there will have to be an understanding on that as well," he added.

Fending off criticism that the UN is not taking into consideration the EU acquis communautaire in its efforts for a Cyprus solution, Feissel said "the future of Cyprus in the EU is something for the EU to decide."

The UN envoy would neither confirm nor deny reports that the UN Secretary-General is going to appoint a former diplomat from Ecuador, who has also served with the UN, as his special representative in efforts to reach a solution to the Cyprus issue.

Feissel will meet Denktash this afternoon, and President Clerides again next Wednesday, as part of the ongoing UN effort to find an overall Cyprus settlement.

CNA MA/MM/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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