Cyprus News Agency: News in English (AM), 98-04-30

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

CONTENTS

[01] White House Spokesman on Holbrooke's visit to Cyprus

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[01] White House Spokesman on Holbrooke's visit to Cyprus

This was stressed here yesterday by White House spokesman Mike McCurry, adding that the presidential envoy will raise "other issues that have also been a source of concern to us, particularly the reported acceptance of a proposed shipment of S-300 missiles."

Russian-made S-300 surface-to-air missiles are expected to be deployed in Cyprus later this year.

"The US certainly would like to see a solution that would prevent the introduction to the island of missile technology that we think would be destabilising. We've made that quite clear," McCurry said.

The White House spokesman said that the US administration raised its concerns on the issue "with the Russian Federation. We have raised our concerns directly with the Greek Cypriot leadership and with others."

Asked about the Turkish threats regarding the missiles he said "I would not cite any specific threats as being any more or less alarming than simply the fact that the introduction of technologies that are potentially destabilising represents the wrong direction at a time when we are trying to promote reconciliation and dialogue that could lead to a peaceful settlement of the issues that have divided the Turkish community and the Greek community on Cyprus."

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

CNA DA/KN/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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