Cyprus News Agency: News in English (PM), 98-04-27

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

CONTENTS

[01] No recognition proposal from US, Britain

[02] Cyprus removed from high risk money laundering list

[03] AIDS patient jailed for unprotected sex

[04] Shimon Peres to address Cyprus meeting

[05] Cyprus Stock Exchange

[06] Charges against Kurd suspended

[07] UNESCO urged to protect cultural heritage

1430:CYPPRESS:01

[01] No recognition proposal from US, Britain

Replying to questions at his daily press briefing, Stylianides reiterated that the government was willing to participate in bicommunal negotiations for a Cyprus settlement.

Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash told the UN in March he would not participate in peace talks unless his illegal regime, in the areas occupied by Turkey since 1974, was recognised.

He wants to change the bicommunal basis on which the negotiations have been held until today, whereby he and President Glafcos Clerides participated as leaders of their communities.

The illegal regime, unilaterally declared in 1983, is recognised only by Turkey.

"No concrete proposal has been made either by the Americans or the British on the recognition of the illegal state or any other form of acknowledgement..." Stylianides said.

He said there were indications that Turkish side had backed down from its demand for recognition, but the government was expecting specific clarifications.

"This is something we will see in a concrete and precise way when Richard Holbrooke comes to Cyprus," he said.

The US Presidential Emissary is expected to visit Cyprus at the end of this week in a bid to break the deadlock in the peace process and get the two communities back to the negotiating table.

The Spokesman added that the government expects "specific indications that the Turkish side is ready to participate in talks aiming at a bicommunal, bizonal federation, under UN aegis, based on a bicommunal dialogue.

CNA MA/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1445:CYPPRESS:02

[02] Cyprus removed from high risk money laundering list

"Cyprus' efforts have been evaluated by the Financial Action Task Force and I am very pleased to inform you that it has been decided to remove Cyprus from the category of high risk countries as far as money laundering is concerned, as a result of important measures we have taken," the Minister said.

Speaking after a meeting with a committee of representatives from 21 countries of the Council of Europe, he said Cyprus has ratified two international conventions (of Vienna and the CoE) and set up a special team to fight money laundering and establish a consultative commission to inform the cabinet and assist the government.

Christodoulou said the Council believes this special committee should visit all countries to see for itself the practical steps each country is taking to combat this type of crime.

Cyprus is the second country the committee has visited, after Slovenia.

"I am sure that this committee will also back the report the Task Force has already prepared on Cyprus, which is very favourable," he added.

CNA MK/MM/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1530:CYPPRESS:03

[03] AIDS patient jailed for unprotected sex

Chryssavghi Zarzour, 26, who has full-blown Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), had pleaded guilty before the Court to having unprotected sex with two young men without informing them of her disease.

The two men, a married 29-year-old taxi driver and a 22-year-old single, underwent blood tests, which were negative.

Passing sentence, Judge Haris Solomonides said strict and deterrent sentences should be imposed to protect people's health from the increased danger of spreading AIDS in Cyprus.

However, he said he had taken into account the defendant's psychological and health problems, that she had no previous record, her cooperation and confession, her family condition and the fact she has a limited life span.

"Taking everything into account the facts weigh heavily against her, since the accused knew all about AIDS and how it was transmitted, but still went on having sex with men without telling them of her condition or using a condom," he said.

Zarzour, a British-born Cypriot hairdresser, who came to Cyprus from London in 1987, initially faced charges of having intercourse with four men from November until March without telling them of her condition.

Prosecutors dropped two of the counts after she switched her plea to guilty from not guilty two weeks ago.

The Court heard that all four men have been tested negative for the HIV virus.

Zarzour faced a maximum potential sentence of two years in prison or a fine of 1,500 Cyprus pounds (one pound is about two US dollars) or both.

She was the second person charged with knowingly passing the AIDS virus under a 50-year-old law introduced by the island's then British colonial authorities to combat the spread of cholera and typhoid.

Last July, Famagusta District Court sentenced fisherman Pavlos Georgiou Kremastos to 15 months in jail for negligently passing HIV to his British lover.

CNA KN/AP/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1640:CYPPRESS:04

[04] Shimon Peres to address Cyprus meeting

The meeting, under the umbrella of the "Peres Centre for Peace", will take place from May 4 to 7 in the western coastal resort of Paphos.

Peres will address the meeting on Tuesday, May 5, and leave the same day.

Cyprus Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides, former Cyprus President George Vassiliou, a member of the Board of Directors of the Centre, and former Foreign Minister Alecos Michaelides will be the guest speakers at the opening session.

A spokesman for the Centre told CNA today this is the first time Cyprus is hosting such a meeting in collaboration with the Peres Centre.

An Israeli embassy spokesman here noted that Cyprus' geographical location, its friendly relations with the neighbouring countries and its readiness to contribute to the Middle East peace process were taken into account in deciding the venue of the meeting.

CNA MM/AP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1700:CYPPRESS:05

[05] Cyprus Stock Exchange

CSE All Share Index                    94.21 (0,11)

Sectural Indices

Banks                                 108.82 ( 1,28)
Approved Investment Companies          67,74 (-0,60)
Insurance Companies                    69,66 (-1,67)
Industrial Companies                   84,71 (-1,14)
Tourist Industries                     75,58 (-2,85)
Commercial Companies                   57,80 (-5,15)
Other Companies                        80,29 (-0.91)

Trading Volume                         3.246.899

CNA MM/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1900:CYPPRESS:06

[06] Charges against Kurd suspended

Alecos Markides said in a letter "under the circumstances there is no case to answer" and noted that police have charged Ramazan Celik with "seeking to buy clients" in contravention of the criminal code.

Celik's lawyer, Dinos Paspallides said he was pleased with the Attorney's decision and criticised his client's arrest following interventions by various embassies here.

"This practice takes us back to previous eras which we thought belonged to the past," Paspallides said, calling on diplomats to show sensitivity to the gross violation of human rights of the Kurdish people in Turkey.

The House Committee of Human Rights heard that Celik's arrest was carried out following complaints by the US embassy here.

In a statement today, the embassy said "had nothing to do with the arrest of this individual."

Celik thanked Cypriot MPs who stood by his side and told the press the money he gains from the sale of the magazine "Voice of Kurdistan" goes to support Kurdish families in need, that suffer from Turkish troops atrocities.

Many organisations, including the Pancyprian Association for the Protection of Human Rights and the Committee of Solidarity with Kurdistan, condemned Celik's arrest, which they described illegal.

The Association expressed dismay at the possibility that Celik's charges were brought at the suggestion of a foreign embassy and called on the government to investigate the matter.

The House Committee welcomed today's decision by the Attorney-General and said it has asked the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Justice and Public Order before the Committee, following the revelation of a document which said that the charges were brought against Celik after a foreign embassy had intervened.

CNA MM/AP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

2040:CYPPRESS:07

[07] UNESCO urged to protect cultural heritage

In a letter addressed to UNESCO Director-General Federico Mayor, Chairman of the delegation to Parliamentary Committee, Philippe Monfils, said the conversion of the Saint Makar monastery into a hotel alienates "an ancient Armenian religious site from its spiritual purpose."

Monfils called on Mayor to exercise his influence to prevent this move by the illegal regime.

The 10th century monastery, situated in the mountain range of Pentadaktylos and well known for its monastic order, is considered to be one of the holiest shrines of the Armenian people worldwide.

Following the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 and the occupation of 37 per cent of its northern territory, the self-styled regime denied access to Armenians to the monastery, now partly destroyed.

Monfils said in his letter to Mayor the conversion of Saint Makar into a hotel "is a violation of the 1954 Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict and the Declaration of the Principles of International Cultural Cooperation, adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO."

He urges the UNESCO Director-General "to exercise all your influence towards the responsible authorities to prevent the transformation of the Armenian monastery into a hotel, thus respecting its religious and historical significance."

Meanwhile, the President of the European People's Party group in the European Parliament, in a letter to ruling Democratic Rally party leader Nicos Anastasiades said the group will support every effort for the protection of the cultural heritage in Turkish-occupied Cyprus.

CNA AP/MM/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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