Cyprus News Agency: News in English (AM), 97-09-12

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

CONTENTS

[01] Peace talks to resume next Spring, Annan believes

[02] Cyprus Archbishop meets UN Chief

[03] Kasoulides concludes European tour

[04] UN to work towards promoting humanitarian issues

1110:CYPPRESS:01

[01] Peace talks to resume next Spring, Annan believes

Annan, who gave a press conference in New York Thursday, said the election "is already beginning to cast a long shadow over the talks."

To a question whether any movement can change the deadlock in the Cyprus peace talks, the UN Chief said the question of Cyprus' bid for European Union (EU) membership was used to complicate the talks.

"It is unfortunate what happened in Switzerland. I think the meeting we had in Troutbeck went reasonably well and after that," he said, noting that "when the two leaders got to Cyprus they met several times" and discussed some humanitarian issues, particularly the missing persons, "so we were encouraged."

"But of course, in Switzerland the question of EU's discussion of Cyprus membership was used to complicate the discussions", the Secretary- General noted.

He was obviously referring to Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash's refusal to talk on the substance of the problem, in reaction to a decision by the European Union to start accession talks with Cyprus next year.

Commenting on the current impasse Annan said: "I would hope that this will not persist forever. I noticed Wednesday in the media that President Clerides has indicated he is prepared to come to the table at any time. And I would hope that the Turkish side would also be prepared to do that."

Annan referred to the campaign on the presidential elections in Cyprus next February.

"Realistically, with the elections planned in Cyprus, I don't think we can anticipate any more talks this year. I think it would be more realistic and rational to have it after the election, because I think the election is already beginning to cast a long shadow over the talks," Annan said.

Asked about a long-standing proposal by President Clerides for the demilitarisation of Cyprus, the UN Secretary-General said the UN will support it although it is a complex situation.

"I think demilitarisation and removal of arms in any region of the world is something that the UN cannot but applaud. Obviously, it is a complex situation and it will also require others to do the same," he said.

"Any attempt to demilitarise, if others join in, we will support it. But it not going to be easy," Annan noted.

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

CNA JD/AP/GP/1997

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1110:CYPPRESS:02

[02] Cyprus Archbishop meets UN Chief

New York, Sep 12 (CNA) -- Archbishop Chrysostomos, the Primate of Cyprus' Orthodox Church, has asked Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary-General, to help so that human rights in Cyprus can be restored.

Speaking to the press after a 30-minute meeting here Thursday with the UN Secretary-General, the Archbishop also said he explained that a federation in Cyprus would mean violation of human rights.

He said he asked the Secretary-General to help for the restoration of human rights in Cyprus.

He told the press that Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974 and still occupies 37 per cent of its territory, obliging the Christian people and the Greeks to leave their homes, while transferring Turkish settlers to the occupied areas.

The Archbishop expressed the view that "federation in Cyprus means violation of human rights because never the Greeks and Turks lived separately."

He noted that Greeks and Turks lived together in mixed villages and "these Turks were originally not Turks but Greeks because many villages in which Turkish Cypriots lived have the names of Christian Saints."

Secondly, he added, "Cyprus is too small to become a federated state" and noted the immense financial cost to run a federation where "we must have three governments and four parliaments."

Asked whether the Cyprus problem is being led to the wrong direction, the Archbishop said "if we proceed with the situation followed so far, aiming at a federation, of course this is wrong."

The Archbishop had a meeting yesterday with US presidential emissary for Cyprus, Richard Holbrooke.

Today he will meet with President Clinton's former senior advisor, George Stephanopoulos, currently a political science professor at Columbia University.

CNA JD/AP/GP/1997

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1130:CYPPRESS:03

[03] Kasoulides concludes European tour

In the Greek capital, Kasoulides will have talks on the outcome of his talks in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Germany, Luxembourg and Italy.

The Cypriot FM will meet with his Greek counterpart Theodoros Pangalos, Foreign Under-Secretary Yiannos Kranidiotis and Alternate Foreign Minister George Papandreou.

They will discuss issues to be raised during the forthcoming debate on Cyprus by the European Union (EU) political affairs committee and other fora, as well as Turkish threats for the "gradual integration" of the occupied areas into Turkey.

In an interview this morning with the Cyprus radio, Kasoulides expressed satisfaction with his contacts in the European capitals and in particular with assurances by officials who had recently expressed negative views on Cyprus' bid to become an EU member.

"I believe these meetings were particularly useful and of course others will follow with the rest of my counterparts of EU member-states, as we are in one of the most critical periods of our accession course," he said.

The Minister said it is expected that the EU political decision will be taken in December as to when accession talks will start with candidate countries, noting that Turkey has launched an unprecedented campaign in Europe to prevent Cyprus' bid.

He said during the meetings with his counterparts of Germany, Luxembourg and Italy, he underlined EU decisions for the entry of Cyprus into the EU and the start of accession negotiations, early next year.

"Our message was passed on and was understood and I believe the outcome of my contacts with these countries' governments was positive," he said.

With regard to a formula about the participation of Turkish Cypriots in the accession talks, he said when the Turkish Cypriot community accepts the principle of entry into the EU and its representation as part of the official Cyprus delegation "there are ways for Turkish Cypriots to participate."

The Foreign Minister also said that during his meetings in Europe he had the chance to calm down concerns expressed by EU member-states on the deployment of the Russian S-300 anti-aircraft missiles in Cyprus, in mid- 1998.

He said he assured them the government will negotiate a Cyprus solution with "good will and a constructive spirit" and once a proposal by President Glafcos Clerides for the island's demilitarisation was accepted, there would be no need for the deployment of the surface-to-air missiles.

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

CNA AP/GP/1997

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1400:CYPPRESS:04

[04] UN to work towards promoting humanitarian issues

This was stated by the UN official after an hour-long meeting with President Clerides today, their first after the August UN-led direct talks in Glion, Switzerland.

Feissel told the press he will also be discussing matters with Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash on Monday.

Asked whether the next step would be direct meetings between the leaders of the two communities, he said "that is the next step over here."

To a question if there are any proposed dates for new direct meetings, he said, "no, my next step is to discuss this with Denktash and then we will see how we will proceed."

He also said he had no date to announce about a visit to Cyprus by UN Secretary-General's Special Advisor on Cyprus, Diego Cordovez, who chaired both rounds of direct talks in Troutbeck and Glion in July and August.

"I think both sides had indicated their satisfaction with whatever happened back on the 28 and 31 July, which was a very useful decision at the time, in particular concerning the missing persons," he added.

The two leaders met twice in the last week of July at Feissel's residence, situated in the UN-controlled buffer zone in Nicosia.

They had discussed humanitarian issues, especially the missing persons question. As a first step the two leaders agreed to "designate a person who by the end of September 1997 will exchange information" on both the Greek and Turkish Cypriot missing.

Feissel noted "now we must proceed with the implementation of that decision, which was envisaged for September, and also to see how we can build on this in other areas."

He expressed the view it is also very important that everybody works very hard in creating a more positive climate and to avoid things that run counter to that and create tension.

The UN official said everybody must keep in mind that "we are committed to a peaceful settlement of the Cyprus problem" and that there is "no other alternative available and therefore everything that we do must be in line with that overall objective."

Feissel said he discussed "many things" with President Clerides and refrained from saying whether they talked about the military dialogue between the National Guard and the Turkish occupation army, under UN auspices, the purchase by Cyprus of Russian S-300 anti-aircraft missiles, and the National Guard annual military exercise "Nikiforos '97", later this year.

Asked whether he will discuss with the two leaders President Clerides' proposal at Glion for the island's demilitarisation, he said "it is up to them" and noted they can talk about whatever they want when they get together.

"But first we have to get the views of both sides of how they want to proceed and also to implement what they have agreed back at the end of July, " the top UN envoy here said.

He also said "everybody has to be a player in this game, because that is the only way you are going to solve this thing."

"The only sensible option that is available for everybody is to solve the Cyprus problem, in line with the approach that we have taken and that anything else is not in the interest of anybody," Feissel added.

Asked to comment on a statement by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan yesterday that further talks on Cyprus would not take place until after the presidential elections, of February 1998, he said "during the election periods in Cyprus, whether it is these elections or any other elections, we pass through some kind of an infirmation, where things sort of slow down."

He noted however, this does not prevent both sides and everybody else obviously from ensuring that the overall climate remains positive and improves.

"What we try to do is to make sure that everybody plays their part in avoiding tension, avoiding doing anything that creates tension and promotes a more positive climate," Feissel said.

The UN official said this is very important and expressed the view that if this is achieved it "will make a very good contribution in setting the scene and will facilitate obviously any effort that is to follow."

Asked if a new third member of the Committee of the Missing Persons (CMP) will be appointed by the UN Secretary-General, he said "I don't have any news on that as yet from New York."

The CMP was set up in 1981 and comprises of a Greek and a Turkish Cypriot representative and a third member appointed by the UN. The UN representative in the CMP, Paul Wurth of the International Red Cross Society, retired in 1996 and has not been replaced since.

A total of 1619 Greek Cypriots were listed as missing persons soon after the 1974 Turkish invasion and occupation of 37 per cent of the island's territory, while the Turkish Cypriot side claims there are around 500 Turkish Cypriots missing since the intercommunal clashes that broke out in 1963.

CNA RG/AP/GP/1997

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