Cyprus News Agency: News in English (PM), 97-07-16

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

CONTENTS

[01] Cyprus Stock Exchange

[02] Verdict on AIDS trial on July 29

[03] EU confirms accession negotiations with Cyprus

[04] New equipment for Meteorological Service

[05] US diplomats visit area

[06] President Clerides welcomes EU confirmation

1600:CYPPRESS:01

[01] Cyprus Stock Exchange

CSE All Share Index                    74.31 (-1.10)

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

Sectural Indices

Banks                                  82.87 (-0.74)
Approved Investment Companies          63.72 (-0.22)
Insurance Companies                    56.69 (-3.16)
Industrial Companies                   76.47 (-1.46)
Tourist Industries                     62.85 (-1.46)
Commercial Companies                   47.42 (-1.64)
Other Companies                        60.37 (-1.03)

Trading Volume                         CYP 420733.220

CNA MA/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1830:CYPPRESS:02

[02] Verdict on AIDS trial on July 29

Judge, Antonis Liatsos, will give his verdict in the landmark trial of 40-year old Pavlos Georgiou, from the south-eastern resort of Ayia Napa, on July 29, it was announced today.

Jannette Pink, a 45-year old divorcee from Britain accused Georgiou of knowingly passing on the deadly virus to her during their three-year old affair.

Georgiou, whose wife died of AIDS and younger child is an HIV carrier, denies the charges, claiming that Pink knew all along he was a carrier of the disease but continued to insist on having unprotected sex with him.

Prosecution lawyer, Maria Malachtou, told the court today, that "even if Pink knew Georgiou was a carrier it is not an excuse for him", while she dismissed his claim that she found him irresistible and demanded sex from him.

On his part, defence lawyer, Tassos Economou, said Pink "thought AIDS only affected haemophiliacs and homosexuals" and accused her of not telling the court of her previous lovers in Cyprus.

A weak and fragile Pink had come to Cyprus and testified at the beginning of the trial, late May.

If found guilty, Georgiou faces a maximum of two years imprisonment and a fine of 1.5000 Cyprus pounds (around 3.000 US dollars).

He is being prosecuted under a 50-year-old British colonial law designed to combat the spread of infectious diseases such as cholera and typhoid.

This is the first such case to be tried in Cyprus.

CNA MCH/MA/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1910:CYPPRESS:03

[03] EU confirms accession negotiations with Cyprus

Replying to a question by a Turkish journalist, soon after presenting the "Agenda 2000" before the European Parliament, Wednesday, Van Den Broek also reiterated that the EU decision to open accession negotiations with Cyprus is not new, but was taken in March 1995.

He underlined that the EU has often expressed its interest in a solution to the Cyprus question and is cooperating with the UN in this direction.

The report dubbed "Agenda 2000" notes that membership negotiations will begin with Cyprus, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Estonia and Slovenia.

In his reference to Cyprus during the report presentation earlier today, the EU Commissioner said it recalls "that the Commission delivered a favourable opinion in 1993 on Cyprus' application for membership and has reaffirmed on several occasions that accession negotiations should start six months after the conclusion of the Intergovernmental Conference."

"The division of the island, of course, raises problems in the context of enlargement but we hope that the prospect of accession will provide a catalyst to bring about a just and lasting settlement," he added.

The Dutch Commissioner expressed hope that with the UN-led direct negotiations that were held in Troutbeck, New York, last week, between President Glafcos Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, on the Cyprus problem, "a process leading to a settlement will begin."

He added that "a settlement of the Cyprus problem will permit a faster conclusion to accession negotiations and these negotiations will be facilitated if sufficient progress is made towards a settlement to permit representatives of the Turkish Cypriot community to be involved in the accession process..."

Van Den Broek also pointed out that there are "encouraging signs" for better relations between Greece and Turkey and said that "we are looking to Turkey to contribute actively to a just and lasting settlement in Cyprus".

Ankara has already reacted to the confirmation that EU-Cyprus accession talks will being next year, and has threatened that in such a case it would start a process of integrating the territory of the Republic it occupies since it invaded the island in 1974.

CNA NB/MA/GP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1930:CYPPRESS:04

[04] New equipment for Meteorological Service

During a press conference today at the Meteorological Service's offices at Larnaca International Airport, Petrides presented the new equipment the service acquired recently and the modern methods now used to forecast the weather.

He gave details about the new computerised system installed and how best data and facts can be evaluated.

The new system has been in operation since July 4. It cost about 140.000 Cyprus pounds (around 280.000 US dollars).

The system enables access to the Greek National Meteorological Service which in turn provides the ability to obtain meteorological reports from Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.

CNA MAN/EC/GP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1935:CYPPRESS:05

[05] US diplomats visit area

According to CNA sources, the delegation, headed by Deputy Director of the Department of Southern European Affairs, Pete Petrihos, has already visited Ankara and was expected to arrive in Athens for meetings, today.

The American diplomats, who left Washington July 14, are expected to come to Cyprus July 18 and meet with President of the Republic, Glafcos Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktash.

They are scheduled to fly to Brussels for talks on July 21.

Well informed sources told CNA that one of the issues the State Department delegation put forward "to all the right people" in Ankara is the violation of Cyprus' air space by Turkish military planes.

They added that Foreign Secretary, Madeleine Albright, also raised the issue to her Turkish counterpart, Ismail Cem, during a recent meeting in Madrid, on the sidelines of the NATO summit.

The Cyprus government has strongly protested the violations, which took place even after its decision to temporarily postpone the participation of Greek military planes in National Guard exercises.

The government had taken the decision in order to help maintain a good climate and boost efforts to bring the two sides together on the negotiating table, for a settlement in Cyprus.

CNA MA/MCH/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

2000:CYPPRESS:06

[06] President Clerides welcomes EU confirmation

Speaking on arrival at Larnaca airport, President Clerides also said UN- led direct talks in Troutbeck took place in a "very good atmosphere", but no progress was made concerning the substance of the Cyprus problem.

Describing Cyprus' EU accession process as "a catalyst towards a solution to the Cyprus problem", Clerides said it would be preferable if a solution was reached before accession, stressing, however, this should not be a precondition.

Asked to comment on Turkey's threats to annex the areas it occupies since it invaded the island in 1974 if Cyprus joins the EU, Clerides said he does "not pay much attention to them".

He added that the government has taken all necessary measures in the diplomatic field.

Commenting on the first round of UN-led direct talks with Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, held last week in Troutbeck, near New York, President Clerides said the atmosphere was good but "there were no developments on the substance of the Cyprus problem."

He noted, however, that he "did not expect any developments as it is still too early."

"A process has started and is continuing", President Clerides said, pointing out that "progress will occur when the gap between the positions held by the two sides is bridged."

He explained that the UN Secretary General's Special Advisor on Cyprus, Diego Cordovez, who coordinated the talks, prepared "a non-paper that will become a paper if the two sides agree to it", adding that the Greek and Turkish Cypriot sides submitted their observations and Cordovez made certain changes.

The two sides, he said, will study the non-paper and then express their positions.

"I will not publicly comment on the non-paper which will be discussed at the National Council (top advisory body to the government on the Cyprus problem) meeting", President Clerides said, noting he did not consider public statements to be wise at this stage.

The National Council is scheduled to convene on July 24, to discuss developments in the Cyprus issue during the talks.

President Clerides also referred to his proposal for a meeting with Denktash in Nicosia, under the auspices of UN Resident Representative, Gustave Feissel, in order to discuss humanitarian issues, especially that of persons missing since the Turkish invasion.

Noting that there is no agenda for the Nicosia meeting, the President said humanitarian issues, including that of Greek Cypriot enclaved in the northern Turkish occupied part of the island, were discussed in Troutbeck.

Referring to yesterday's meeting in London, with British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, President Clerides said Blair repeated earlier promises to assist efforts towards a Cyprus settlement as well as the Republic's accession to the EU.

President Clerides also commented on his meeting, in New York, with US Presidential Emissary, Richard Holbrooke, noting that they exchanged views on the proceedings in Troutbeck and agreed that it is too soon to reach any conclusions.

He also said he expressed his satisfaction to Holbrooke for his initiative on Cyprus.

President Clerides dismissed press reports that the US Presidential Emissary associates Cyprus' accession to the EU with a solution to the Cyprus problem.

CNA MAN/MCH/MA/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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