Cyprus News Agency: News in English (AM), 97-09-11

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

CONTENTS

[01] US envoy satisfied with Ankara trip

[02] Cyprus Archbishop discusses human rights with Holbrooke

1000:CYPPRESS:01

[01] US envoy satisfied with Ankara trip

Washington, Sep 11 (CNA) -- US State Department Coordinator for Cyprus, Thomas Miller, is satisfied with his meetings in Ankara, State Department Spokesman, Jim Foley has said.

Noting that Miller "was very satisfied with his stay in Ankara" and "felt he had good meetings", Foley pointed out that the issue of "rising tone of rhetoric in the region which the US think is very counter- productive" was brought up in discussions.

"As he will do in his visits also to Athens and Nicosia, he urged a general toning down of the rhetoric and expressed the US government's support for continued efforts to achieve peaceful solutions", Foley said.

Referring to a meeting between the Prime Ministers of Greece and Turkey, Costas Simitis and Mesut Yilmaz, scheduled to take place in Crete in November, Foley said "this is something the US encourages, because we think it promotes dialogue and can contribute to negotiated solutions."

Foley could not, however, say who would represent the US at the meeting, but pointed out that "any time the Greek and Turkish Prime Ministers meet, the US will be deeply pleased".

CNA DA/MCH/GP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1010:CYPPRESS:02

[02] Cyprus Archbishop discusses human rights with Holbrooke

New York, Sep 11 (CNA) -- The issue of human rights, with special reference to refugees, was discussed by US Presidential Emissary on Cyprus, Richard Holbrooke, and the Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church in Cyprus, Archbishop Chrysostomos, currently visiting the country.

In a statement to the Press, following the meeting, Holbrooke paid tribute to the Archbishop, calling him an "eloquent spokesman for the human rights of the people of Cyprus".

The issue of human rights, Holbrooke pointed out, is also of "enormous concern to the US".

The US diplomat said they agreed that human rights, including "the rights of refugees to return or have full compensation for what happened is critically important".

"I stressed", said Holbrooke, "that human rights are for all the people of Cyprus, both Greeks and Turks".

The Archbishop, he added, "agreed Turkish and Greek Cypriots have lived together and have lived together in peace".

On his part, the Archbishop stressed, "the restoration of human rights also means that there will be an end to the division of Cyprus".

Asked whether the deployment of the S-300 missiles, purchased by the Cyprus government, would create a danger, Holbrooke appeared to downplay the issue.

The missiles, he said, "are a long way off. Let's cross that bridge when we come to it".

Commenting on Cyprus' European course, Holbrooke said the US has a "strong belief that Cyprus should join the European Union" and has stated that repeatedly.

He added, however, that the US position "is very clear. We think a bi- communal, bi-zonal federation should join the EU", noting that this is a subject he has discussed at length with EU Commissioner for External Relations Hans Van den Broek.

He said "Turkey should also be a member although that is down the road at a future date".

Holbrooke expressed the hope to meet again Archbishop Chrysostomos after the latter's visit to Houston Texas. He asked to accompany the Primate during his visit to Astoria, New York, where there is a big Greek and Greek Cypriot community.

Chrysostomos is scheduled to meet this evening with UN Secretary- General, Kofi Annan, at UN Headquarters. In the afternoon, he will have a meeting with the leadership of the Jewish Congress in the US.

Tomorrow, the Archbishop will meet with former advisor to the US President, George Stephanopoulos, a Political Sciences professor at Columbia University.

Last night, the Cyprus Archbishop attended a reception given in his honour by Archbishop of America Spyridon, who expressed the support of all Hellenes to the Cyprus cause.

CNA JD/MCH/GP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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