Cyprus News Agency: News in English (PM), 98-01-30

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

CONTENTS

[01] Motor vehicles registrations drop in 1997

[02] Turkish side hopes for mutual moves on missing

[03] Cyprus Stock Exchange

[04] Imports, exports on the rise

[05] US Human Rights report - Cyprus extract

[06] Cyprus welcomes comments by EU Commissioner

1600:CYPPRESS:01

[01] Motor vehicles registrations drop in 1997

According to the Department of Statistics and Research report on "Registration of Motor Vehicles for 1997", the total number of motor vehicles registered decreased from 34.768 in 1996 to 31.857, a decline of 8, 4 percent.

Private saloon car registrations decreased from 19.189 in 1996 to 19.164 last year, but there was a 28,6 percent rise in the registration of used cars. Used private saloon cars registered in 1997 reached 12.710.

Goods conveyance vehicles decreased from 8.097 in 1996 to 6.284 last year.

There was also a fall in the number of mechanised cycles registered from 5.175 in 1996 to 4.552 in 1997.

Japanese motor vehicles accounted for 67,5 percent of total registrations in 1997, followed by 25,7 percent from European Union countries.

CNA MA/MM/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1640:CYPPRESS:02

[02] Turkish side hopes for mutual moves on missing

Rustem Tatar, the Turkish Cypriot responsible to implement an agreement between the two sides to exchange information on the missing, told London Greek Radio today this issue is "humanitarian and we should keep it in that confine and hopefully resolve it".

"Our aim is to exchange information as far as possible and we expect things to be done reciprocally," he added.

Tatar said he expects more meetings to be held in Nicosia to continue discussions on this issue.

Tatar and Greek Cypriot representative, Takis Christopoulos, met last week and exchanged information about the location of graves of some 600 missing persons.

In July 1997 President Glafcos Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash agreed to exchange this information with a view to return the remains of the missing.

A total of 1619 Greek Cypriots, Greeks and US citizens were listed as missing soon after the 1974 Turkish invasion and occupation of the island's northern third.

CNA RG/MA/MM/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1715:CYPPRESS:03

[03] Cyprus Stock Exchange

CSE All Share Index                    79.26 (+0.15)

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

Sectural Indices

Banks                                  92.45 (-0.18)
Approved Investment Companies          61.95 (+1.16)
Insurance Companies                    56.60 (+0.28)
Industrial Companies                   76.03 (+0.44)
Tourist Industries                     62.24 (+2.00)
Commercial Companies                   37.46 (+0.97)
Other Companies                        65.27 (+0.77)

Trading Volume                         CYP 458415.955

CNA MM/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1750:CYPPRESS:04

[04] Imports, exports on the rise

According to the official foreign trade statistics for the period January - September 1997, released today, European Union countries absorbed 50,4 percent of domestic exports, excluding shipstores, while they supplied 46,3 percent of total imports.

In the same period total imports valued at 1.419,3 million Cyprus pounds compared with 1.358,9 mn in the same period in 1996. (One Cyprus pound is about two US dollars)

Total exports were 485,8 mn compared with 477,8 mn in January - September 1996.

As a result of the above developments the trade deficit amounted to 933, 5 mn compared with 881,1 mn in January - September 1996.

The EU countries supplied Cyprus with goods valued at 656,9 mn pounds compared with 665,0 mn in the period under review.

They absorbed 80,4 mn Cyprus pounds of Cyprus' domestic exports, followed by the Arab countries with 43,8 mn or 27,5 percent.

CNA MA/MM/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

2000:CYPPRESS:05

[05] US Human Rights report - Cyprus extract

However, it acknowledges the bad living conditions of Greek Cypriots and Maronites living in the areas occupied by Turkey since its 1974 invasion.

The reference to Cyprus in the US State Department yearly report on human rights, made public today, mentions that police brutality, and discrimination and violence against women remained problems.

The State Department says "in both the government controlled areas and in the Turkish Cypriot community there is generally strong regard for democratic principles."

Referring to Greek Cypriots and Maronites living in the occupied areas, the report notes that although some positive steps to improve their living conditions have been taken, "the treatment of these groups still falls short of Turkish Cypriot obligations under the Vienna III agreement of 1975."

The agreement, signed by both sides, calls for respect of basic rights, including health care, schooling and religion, of Greek Cypriots and Maronites living in the occupied territories and Turkish Cypriots living in the government controlled areas.

However, the report notes that the UN peace keeping force's (UNFICYP) access to Greek Cypriots and Maronites "remains limited", despite the fact that the agreement provides for free and unhindered access by UNFICYP.

It says that in the occupied north there are no Greek-language educational facilities beyond elementary level and notes the complaints by Greek Cypriots about lack of access to telephones and the vandalism of Orthodox churches.

Regarding the living conditions of Turkish Cypriots in the government controlled areas, it notes that some face difficulties in obtaining identification cards and other government documents.

"Turkish Cypriots also appear to be subjected to harassment and surveillance by the Greek Cypriot police," it adds.

In its 16-page reference to Cyprus the State Department says that "in general the police forces of both sides respect the rule of law, but instances of police abuse of power continued."

It says there were no reports of political or other extrajudicial killings, even though it notes that the occupation regime did not conduct a "credible investigation" into the 1996 murder of Turkish Cypriot journalist Kutlu Adali, who had criticized Turkey's role in the occupied areas.

It adds that there has not been "significant investigations" by the occupation regime into the killing of a Greek Cypriot demonstrator and the beating to death of another, during demonstrations in the UN controlled buffer zone, in 1996.

The report notes "a series of allegations" of Cypriot police brutality, mostly involving non-Cypriots, and says there are "credible reports" of pervasive abuse of power and routine harsh treatment of detainees by the illegal Turkish Cypriot police.

Regarding freedom of speech and of the press, the State Department says "they are provided by law and are freely practiced throughout the island".

However, it mentions complaints by some Turkish Cypriot journalists about surveillance and intimidation and says the occupation regime has not responded adequately to such allegations.

The State Department report notes that freedom of religion is generally respected in Cyprus, but refers to "monitoring" of missionaries by both communities.

It also refers to reciprocal visits to religious sites by Greek and Turkish Cypriots, after an agreement last April.

The report mentions the fact that the occupation regime suspended all bicommunal meetings since 27 December 1997.

With regard to freedom of the right to travel abroad the report points to the difficulties Turkish Cypriots have in travelling abroad because their travel documents are recongised only by Turkey so they resort to using Turkish travel documents.

The report says "multiparty political systems exist throughout Cyprus" and points out that in both communities women face no legal obstacles to participating in the political process, even though they are underrepresented in government.

"Legislation in both communities provides for protection against discrimination based on sex, religion, or national, racial or ethnic origin, " the report says.

It adds that while such laws are generally respected "significant problems remain with the treatment of the Greek Cypriots and Maronites living in the north and, to a lesser extent, with the treatment of Turkish Cypriots living in the government controlled areas."

The report mentions the increase of attention to spousal abuse by the Greek Cypriots and the efforts made to curb domestic violence.

The State Department appears to be satisfied with respect of workers rights, the right to organise and bargain collectively and other labour issues.

However, it says "a significant percentage of the labour force in the north consists of illegal workers, mainly from Turkey", who, according to some estimates constitute as much as 25 percent of the total labour force in the occupied areas.

CNA DA/MA/MM/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

2020:CYPPRESS:06

[06] Cyprus welcomes comments by EU Commissioner

Kasoulides said reassurances given by EU External Affairs Commissioner, Hans van den Broek, yesterday, "constitute a reply to all who dispute that negotiations will begin..."

The Foreign Minister added Van den Broek reiterated similar statements made by both the EU presidency and government representatives of EU member state.

Replying to questions after a speech at the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly and a press conference, in Strasbourg, the EU Commissioner said "negotiations with Cyprus and five other countries are due to start at the end of March or beginning of April."

He also said the EU is committed to its decisions about Cyprus and the Republic can depend on full support from the Union.

CNA MA/MM/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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