Cyprus News Agency: News in English (AM), 97-07-03

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

CONTENTS

[01] Direct talks to take place as scheduled

[02] US reiterates support for UN talks

[03] Feissel on UN talks

[04] President Clerides receives US official

[05] Cypriot party to take part in European leftist summit

[06] Cyprus signs agreement on illicit traffic by sea

[07] ICAO affirms Cyprus as only legal authority of FIR

[08] Italy supports Cyprus' accession to EU

1020:CYPPRESS:01

[01] Direct talks to take place as scheduled

United Nations, Jul 3 (CNA) -- The UN fully expects next week's direct talks between Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash to proceed as scheduled.

Denktash was reported on Monday to have threatened to boycott the talks if a document whose contents were unknown to him was placed on the table and threatened not to go to New York.

Asked by CNA to comment on Denktash's statement, Associate Spokesman for the UN Secretary General, Juan Carlos Brandt, said "the indication I have is that the talks are proceeding and all parties will be present."

He said he had seen the reports about Denktash but it was his "understanding that Mr. Cordovez, as is usual in a mediation process like this, is of course working on his ideas and proposals that will be the basis for the talks to take place in Troutbeck."

Brandt said he did not think Diego Cordovez, the Secretary-General Special Representative on Cyprus, intends to present the proposals before the time is right and reiterated that "we understand that the talks are proceeding and the sides have indicated their intention to participate."

Asked whether UN Resident Representative, Gustave Feissel was dealing with the matter, Brandt replied, Feissel "is conducting a very intense round of quiet diplomacy and it would not be prudent to comment on it."

The UN Spokesman reviewed arrangements surrounding the talks, noting that Secretary-General Kofi Annan, will host a dinner for President Clerides and Rauf Denktash at his residence in New York on July 8. The event will be open to the press but only as a photo opportunity.

On July 9, Annan will host lunch for the two sides in Troutbeck at the site of the talks and make a statement in the presence of the two leaders.

The UN Secretary-General will then return to New York in the afternoon, leaving Cordovez to conduct the day to day negotiations.

"The Secretary-General", noted Brandt, "will obviously be kept apprised of the progress made in the talks and will be ready to step in, as may be necessary, over the course of the five days."

CNA JD/MCH/GP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1030:CYPPRESS:02

[02] US reiterates support for UN talks

Washington, Jul 3 (CNA) -- The US has reiterated its support for the upcoming UN-sponsored talks near New York and urged the Greek and Turkish Cypriot sides to be represented at the highest possible level.

The US has also said it would be carrying on "separate discussions" in conjunction with the UN efforts and its representation to next week's talks will be "low level."

"I can say that we are looking forward very much to the talks outside New York where the UN Secretary-General will convene a meeting between the parties to the Cyprus conflict, we are very, very interested in that," Nicholas Burns, US State Department Spokesman, said here, Wednesday.

Noting that US Presidential Emissary Richard Holbrooke, "will not be participating" in the talks, Burns pointed out that the US "are not being represented at a high level."

"I believe we may be represented at a lower level, fairly low level", he said, adding that, Director of Southern European Affairs at the US State Department, Carey Cavanaugh, "may be involve, may be presently physically in the town and available for conversations along the margin."

Commenting on threats expressed by Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, not to participate in negotiations if the UN present a document during their course, Burns stressed his country's support to the UN-led direct talks, and urged the two sides to be represented "at the highest possible level".

"That would be President Clerides and Rauf Denktash", Burns said, stressing that "peace is not going to be made if you are not there."

The State Department Spokesman pointed out that the US "will be carrying separate discussions" but always in conjunction and cooperation with the UN and British efforts so as to "make a small contribution to move the process forward. CNA DA/MM/MCH/GP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1230:CYPPRESS:03

[03] Feissel on UN talks

He also acknowledged that the use by the UN of the word "paper" left itself open to misunderstanding.

Speaking after a meeting here today with President Glafcos Clerides, Feissel said "Cordovez will make an oral presentation at the afternoon meeting on 9 July, a closed meeting to be attended only by the two leaders, their advisors and the UN, and he will set out his thoughts in an oral presentation for the purpose of facilitating the beginning of the discussions,"

He said "for the sake of convenience he will give the two leaders the talking points of this oral presentation he will make."

He said he came to see the President to "convey to him personally about what is going to happen at the first meeting."

Replying to questions, Feissel said "the talking points is merely a list of thoughts that summarise what someone says orally, so it is not a question of accepting or not accepting, it is a reflection of thoughts."

Asked if there has been a shift in the UN's intentions after Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash threatened to boycott the talks, Feissel replied "this is a clarification, obviously there was a misunderstanding and with the benefit of hindsight, the use of the word paper left itself to be misunderstood, but this has been clarified and now we know what it is."

Replying to questions, Feissel said what was announced last week about a paper and what was later clarified "seems different" and added "as I have just said, the UN did use the word paper and given what we now know and what happened, it left itself to be misunderstood.

"The clarifications we have given clear that up, there is not a paper in the sense of a document, but views will be expressed orally, and as is normally the case in diplomatic circles, when one expresses one's views, as a courtesy, one gives these so-called talking points which, as I said, summarise what you have just said," Feissel noted.

The UN official refrained from commenting on the content of the talking points saying that Diego Cordovez, the UN chief's special advisor on Cyprus, "is still working on it" so he did not wish to prejudge exactly what will be said.

"I really cannot anticipate what he will say because he is still working on it," he added.

Replying to questions, Feissel said the first closed meeting will begin with an oral statement by Cordovez, welcoming the two leaders there, and then he will set out his views about the Cyprus question and the purpose of that is to facilitate the beginning of the discussion between the two leaders.

"I do not know what he is going to say, he is still working on it, we have to wait until Wednesday," Feissel, who leaves for New York on Saturday, repeated.

The UN has invited Clerides and Denktash to direct talks near New York in a fresh effort to reunite Cyprus, under a bizonal, bicommunal federation.

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

CNA MM/GP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1245:CYPPRESS:04

[04] President Clerides receives US official

Blandlel, who was accompanied by US Ambassador to Cyprus Kenneth Brill, refrained from making any statements after the Presidential Palace meeting.

Yesterday, he was received by Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides.

Blandlel's visit followed a visit last week to Cyprus by Thomas Miller, serving with the US embassy in Athens. Miller will take over as the US State Department Special Coordinator on Cyprus.

During he stay on the island, Miller met prominent members of the Greek Cypriot community.

It was reported in the Greek Cypriot press that both US officials will be part of US Presidential Emissary for Cyprus Richard Holbrooke's team on the Cyprus problem.

Both men's visits took place a few days ahead of the start next week of UN-sponsored direct negotiations between President Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash in Troutbeck, New York.

CNA MM/MH/GP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1250:CYPPRESS:05

[05] Cypriot party to take part in European leftist summit

According to an AKEL press release, the summit meeting, which will be the highlight of a series of events organised by Europe's leftist parties, will deal with the results of the Intergovernmental Conference in Amsterdam and with NATO expansion in Eastern Europe.

Party representatives will at the same time address a large gathering Sunday, organised by Spain's United Left.

AKEL will be represented by member of the party's Political Bureau and the Central Committee's Secretariat, MP Nicos Katsourides, and Andros Kyprianou, member of the Political Bureau and head of the Central Committee's international relations department.

CNA MK/MH/GP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1345:CYPPRESS:06

[06] Cyprus signs agreement on illicit traffic by sea

The agreement was signed today in Strasbourg by Cyprus' Permanent Representative to the Council of Europe, Ambassador, Thalia Petrides.

According to a Council of Europe press release, the agreement provides for international cooperation between European states in this sphere and allows a state to board a ship at sea, after obtaining permission from the flag state and sets out how an intervention at sea is to be conducted.

The agreement will come into force after being ratified by three member states. It has already been signed by Greece, Italy, Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

CNA RG/GP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1355:CYPPRESS:07

[07] ICAO affirms Cyprus as only legal authority of FIR

Eurocontrol Director-General Yves Lambert affirmed this in a written response to Turkish objections over Cyprus signing last week Eurocontrol's revised treaty.

Turkey had submitted a document disputing the validity of the Cypriot delegation at the diplomatic conference in Brussels for the signing of the relevant treaty.

Reaction by the Cypriot delegation was also swift. The delegation stressed in a letter the validity of the government of the Republic of Cyprus as the only internationally recognised delegation from Cyprus at the conference.

Following the signing of the Eurocontrol treaty, the Cypriot delegation made up of Communications and Works Ministry Permanent Secretary, Vassos Pyrgos, and Civil Aviation Department Director, Michalis Herodotou, travelled to Georgia, where they signed an air transport cooperation agreement with that country.

CNA MH/GP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1400:CYPPRESS:08

[08] Italy supports Cyprus' accession to EU

Speaking after a farewell visit today to President Glafcos Clerides before her departure from the island, Simbolotti said she is sad leaving Cyprus after four years on the island and added "relations between Italy and Cyprus increased in all fields, political, economic and especially cultural."

Italy, she noted, was "the first to appoint a special representative for Cyprus when it held the European Union rotating presidency and this was an important impetus."

"We are happy this impetus is continuing and the process of accession is moving on," she added.

Asked if Cyprus can count on Italy's support for EU accession, she replied "we were always supporting" Cyprus' bid to join the EU and recalled that the Republic's application for membership was submitted under the Italian presidency, in July 1990.

Referring to next week's direct negotiations between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot sides, she said these were "very important and difficult" and expressed the best for Cyprus.

"We hope there is a settlement and that Cyprus is united in peace and harmony," she said.

CNA MM/GP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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