Cyprus News Agency: News in English (AM), 97-11-19

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

CONTENTS

[01] UN top envoy arrives

[02] Clerides meets Cordovez

[03] US puts extra effort for Cyprus settlement, says Senator

0910:CYPPRESS:01

[01] UN top envoy arrives

On arrival at Larnaca airport for his first visit here since his appointment, earlier this year, Cordovez said no news should be expected from his trip.

"I bring the good wishes of the Secretary-General of the UN, who has asked me to come to the island because he wants me to keep in touch with the two leaders," he said.

He reminded an earlier statement by the Secretary-General that developments in the protracted Cyprus problem should be expected after the February presidential elections in Cyprus.

"I don't think that we can expect any news from this trip, for the simple reason that what the Secretary-General proposed to the two leaders in January this year was to initiate a process of negotiations probably after the elections," Cordovez added.

The UN envoy noted "you cannot negotiate while an electoral process is underway."

He said, however, he should come here to continue to be in touch with President Glafcos Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash and examine whether some "preparatory" work could be carried out for the post- election period.

Cordovez pointed out the obvious interest the UN chief in a Cyprus solution and said Kofi Annan hopes there would be progress to the peace talks after the elections.

During his three-day visit here, Cordovez will have separate meetings with the leaders of the two communities.

At noon today he will be received by President Clerides and in the afternoon he will cross into the Turkish-occupied part of the island to meet Denktash.

He will also familiarise himself with the UN peace-keeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) and meet with party leaders from both sides of the divide.

After giving a Friday press conference on his contacts here, Cordovez will travel to Athens to meet over the weekend with Prime Minister Costas Simitis and Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos.

He will then fly on to Ankara, on Monday, where he will confer with Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz.

On Wednesday, November 26, the UN top envoy will be in Brussels to meet European Union Commissioner for External Relations, Hans Van den Broek. From there, he sojourns to Paris, where he will meet with various special representatives for Cyprus, appointed by a number of countries.

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

CNA AP/GP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1230:CYPPRESS:02

[02] Clerides meets Cordovez

Present at the meeting, which will deal with latest developments in the protracted Cyprus problem, are Cyprus government and UN officials in Cyprus.

Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides, Attorney-General Alecos Markides, Under-Secretary to the President Pantelis Kouros and Government Spokesman Manolis Christofides were taking part in the meeting.

Cordovez was accompanied by UN resident representative Gustave Feissel and Peter Schmitz, the UN peace-keeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) senior advisor.

Later today, the UN top envoy will cross into the Turkish-occupied part of the island to meet with Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash.

On arrival in Cyprus at midnight for his first visit here since his appointment, earlier this year, Cordovez said no news should be expected from his trip.

"I bring the good wishes of the Secretary-General of the UN, who has asked me to come to the island because he wants me to keep in touch with the two leaders," he said.

CNA RG/AP/GP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1400:CYPPRESS:03

[03] US puts extra effort for Cyprus settlement, says Senator

Smith, a member of US Senate's External Relations Committee, responsible for the relations with Europe, had a meeting this morning with President Glafcos Clerides.

He said he had come to Cyprus "to help foster continued and good bilateral relations between our two countries."

The US official said Cyprus, Greece and Turkey are of "importance" to Europe and America.

"We just hope that the people of Cyprus in the end can settle this issue for themselves and that the tensions between our friends, the Turks and the Greeks, can be reduced and that world peace can be fostered with the settlement in Cyprus," he said.

Smith said the Cyprus problem is a priority of US policy which is putting an extra effort for a solution to be reached.

"The US is making Cyprus a priority. Holbrooke's involvement and my presence here is an indicator that we are trying to put an extra effort in reaching a solution," the Oregon Senator said.

Earlier this year, US President appointed Richard Holbrooke as his emissary for Cyprus. Holbrooke visited the island last week and had separate discussions as well as a joint meeting with President Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash.

"But in the end, the people of Cyprus have to want this more than we do. In the end they need to be allowed to come to a settlement by outside powers," Smith said.

The US Senator expressed hope that US officials' presence in Cyprus would be "constructive".

"We are here as friends. We are here to facilitate, but never to dictate," he explained.

The US Senator will have a meeting later today with House of Representatives President Spyros Kyprianou.

CNA KK/AP/GP/1997

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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