Cyprus News Agency: News in English (PM), 98-05-15

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

CONTENTS

[01] Cyprus Stock Exchange

[02] Issue over Holbrooke's statement over, says Clerides

[03] British presidency working for stronger EU-Turkey relationship

[04] European sports ministers meeting ends

[05] Kasoulides meets Argentine Defence Minister

[06] Defence Minister flies to Greece

[07] No expected change in EU decision regarding Turkey

1600:CYPPRESS:01

[01] Cyprus Stock Exchange

CSE All Share Index                    89,08 ( 0,78)

Sectural Indices

Banks                                 104,24 ( 0,57)
Approved Investment Companies          63,71 ( 0,35)
Insurance Companies                    64,76 ( 0,19)
Industrial Companies                   79,08 ( 1,93)
Tourist Industries                     68,65 ( 1,63)
Commercial Companies                   52,17 ( 1,28)
Other Companies                        73,41 ( 1,20)

Trading Volume                        2.109.641.61

CNA MCH/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1605:CYPPRESS:02

[02] Issue over Holbrooke's statement over, says Clerides

President Clerides told the press Friday that Holbrooke had clarified the issue over a private telephone call during last Friday's meeting of the National Council (top political advisory body to the President).

The President said Holbrooke assured him he had no intention of causing a problem.

Clerides said he considered the whole issue to be"over", after Holbrooke's clarifications and relevant statements yesterday by US Ambassador to Cyprus Kenneth Brill.

At the end of three-day consultations with the two sides in Cyprus beginning of this month, the US Presidential Emissary failed to blame the Turkish side for its intransigence to attend peace-talks, as he had told President Clerides he would do.

He also said "it is very clear and no one has disputed that President Clerides does not represent or have control over the people of northern Cyprus."

His statements caused the President's reaction who expressed his disappointment in a written statement, pointing out that Holbrooke misinterpreted his position on the intercommunal talks and stressed he never ceased to represent the Republic of Cyprus.

Meanwhile, Government Spokesman Christos Stylianides today expressed satisfaction with statements by American officials who recognised President Clerides as the lawful representative of the Republic of Cyprus and the people of Cyprus.

Brill yesterday said the US recognises only one government in Cyprus that represents the people of the island.

Also, in a written statement yesterday, State Department Spokesman James Rubin noted "as Ambassador Holbrooke said, the Turkish side bears primary responsibility for the lack of progress in talks."

CNA KN/AP/MCH/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1610:CYPPRESS:03

[03] British presidency working for stronger EU-Turkey relationship

Speaking after a sixty-minute long meeting with the President of the Republic, Glafcos Clerides, Madden said the British presidency "is trying to work, as indeed Luxembourg asked the presidency to work, on EU-Turkey relations and produce a strengthening of the relationship".

"If we can do that, it should be beneficial to Cyprus as well", he added.

Madden described the meeting as useful, noting he discussed with President Clerides the run-up to the Association Council with Turkey, scheduled for May 25th and the Cardiff European Council.

Asked whether the British EU presidency is promoting any kind of candidate-state status for Turkey, he referred to the Commission "proposals for the European strategy for Turkey" produced in March.

These proposals were produced in response of the Luxembourg Council conclusions, that they wanted proposals for taking forward relations with Turkey in all fields, he explained.

The British presidency and the Commission are working with the other member-states to produce what will be the European strategy for Turkey, which is what was agreed at Luxembourg, he said.

"We are trying to produce a successful meeting of the Association Council on the 25th of May", he pointed out.

Asked whether Britain is in favour of "acknowledgement" for the Turkish- Cypriot self styled regime, Madden said his country "does not recognise it", adding "we are not going to change that position".

"In parallel", he added, "we are trying to assist efforts to produce a settlement of the Cyprus problem, that requires the two leaders of both communities to make a big input into that".

"That settlement should be based on the concept of political equality, as defined by the UN Secretary General", the British High Commissioner said.

Asked whether Sir David Hannay is planning a visit to the island soon, he said the British Special Envoy for Cyprus "has no plans at the moment to come".

Madden said Sir David Hannay is at the moment working on the relationship between Turkey and the EU, "not forgetting about

Cyprus".

CNA GG/MCH/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1740:CYPPRESS:04

[04] European sports ministers meeting ends

Head of sport division of the Council of Europe (CoE), George Walker, told a press conference Friday the Nicosia two-day 15th Informal Meeting of European Sports Ministers was "exceptionally well organised" in every respect and congratulated organisers.

Cyprus' Education and Culture Minister Lykourgos Kappas, said a local committee will be set up to draw a plan for the implementation of the meeting's findings.

A press release issued after the closing session of the meeting, attended by top officials from 47 countries, said it was "agreed that traditional sporting ideals should be resurrected."

It explained that this would help "both to counter the dominance of money in today's sports and to make the most of the power of sport to create social bonds."

It added "these values include tolerance, fair play and the contribution sport can make to building peace, including the ideal of the Olympic truce during major sporting events," it added.

The meeting also emphasised the need for new laws and ethical decisions on specifically modern sports problems, including violence, doping, ever- increasing commercialisation and the impact of new media technologies.

It unanimously endorsed the important role of sport in creating social cohesion, as set out in the action plan of the CoE's Second Summit of Heads of State and Government.

It also agreed future priorities for further work in this field and that the voluntary sector had an important role to play, the press release said.

Head of sport division of CoE told the press there was quite a lot to discuss, not to decide, since this was the first meeting of European sports ministers for three years.

"There was a very clear demonstration of willingness by the ministers of countries represented here to take developments in sport," George Walker added.

He said a CoE committee for sports development will meet next month and discuss "the unanimous suggestions, the conclusions, the ideas that have been put forward here."

There will be proposals for the kind of activities that will be taken forward, he added.

"In addition, we have the supreme body of the CoE, the sports committee of ministers, who will be informed of the results of this meeting," he said.

The Cypriot Education and Culture Minister told the press a local committee that will include officials from his ministry and the Cyprus Sport Organisation, will assess the meeting's findings and draw a relevant implementation plan.

Kappas said that Greek Alternate Foreign Minister, George Papandreou, in a message to the meeting suggested that during the 2004 Athens Olympics a truce should be adopted like the one during the ancient Olympics in Greece.

He said European ministers welcomed the proposal, as well as the initiative of the International Olympic Committee to revive the ideal of Olympic truce as a basic and effective measure for world peace and understanding.

The 15th Informal Meeting of European Sports Ministers, held in Nicosia between May 14 and 15, was attended by ministers and top officials of the CoE 40 member-states, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, the Holy See and Monaco.

Israel and a number of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) also took part as observers.

This morning the Nicosia meeting participants called on President Glafcos Clerides.

CNA MK/AP/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1810:CYPPRESS:05

[05] Kasoulides meets Argentine Defence Minister

Kasoulides, currently on an official visit to Argentina, thanked Dominquez for the contribution of his country to the UN Peace-keeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), an official press release issued here today said.

Assuring the Cypriot minister of Argentina's interest in Cyprus, Dominquez pledged his country would continue to contribute to UNFICYP at the same level and numbers.

Kasoulides visited the military academy, where Argentine troops participating in UNFICYP are trained and was briefed on the peacekeepers' training programme.

The 1.173-strong UN force in Cyprus is currently commanded by Argentine Major-General, Ernesto Evergisto de Vergara. Argentina contributes to UNFICYP with some 400 peacekeepers.

The Cypriot Foreign Minister was the key-note speaker at the Council of Argentine International Relations (CARI), where he briefed former high- ranking officials on latest developments in the Cyprus problem.

Among former ministers, parliamentarians and diplomats were Oscar Camillion and Hugo Gobbi, who had served as UN Secretary-General's Special Representatives in Cyprus.

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

CNA AP/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1855:CYPPRESS:06

[06] Defence Minister flies to Greece

Speaking to the press Friday on departure for Greece, Omerou said that Cyprus is "forced to tackle an effort to disorientate the world public opinion from such behaviour."

The minister said there was an "orchestrated effort" to change the substance of the Cyprus problem from a problem of invasion and occupation and violation of international law to a problem of acquisition of more weapons.

The Cypriot Defence Minister will pay a five-day visit to northern Greece, during which he will have talks with his Greek counterpart Akis Tsohatzopoulos.

Omerou described his visit as "important", noting that it takes place at a time when Turkish provocations against Cyprus and Greece were being intensified.

The minister expressed the government's readiness to discuss a proposal for a no-fly zone over Cyprus, put forward by Greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos during a recent meeting in Washington with US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

Omerou explained, however, this will be accepted provided it would be part of a wider plan for the island's complete demilitarisation.

During his visit Omerou will attend events organised by Greek Cypriots living in northern Greece and local municipalities and organisations, and meet local officials.

On Tuesday, he will visit the military academy, in Thessaloniki, before returning to Cyprus late in the evening. CNA MAN/KN/AP/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1940:CYPPRESS:07

[07] No expected change in EU decision regarding Turkey

In an interview with London Greek Radio (LGR) Green said "Europe wants good relations with Turkey" but pointed out that "on the substantial issue whether Turkey can join the EU, which is what they want, I don't think there will be any major change in the situation, the one that was described in Luxembourg".

Green, who leaves on Sunday for Oslo to take part in the Socialist International meeting, said she will have the opportunity to discuss with Cypriot and Turkish participants EU-Turkey relations and Cyprus' application for accession.

"In Oslo I hope Turkey will read some lessons into that and understand that in the civilised, sophisticated world of politics people actually sit and talk and do not shout at each other", she added.

Green reaffirmed that there could be no recognition of the illegal entity unilaterally declared in the Turkish-occupied northern part of the island and that the EU only recognises the legitimate government of Cyprus.

"It is very interesting that even the (US) State Department in a written statement, through (spokesman) James Rubin, said this week that the Turkish side has primary responsibility to the lack of progress in talks about Cyprus", she pointed out.

She added "I have no doubt that the US is attempting to exercise some influence on Turkey. It depends how they are doing it, in what way and many of these things are simply not known to us".

Referring to US President Bill Clinton, Green said that "if he reads the statement of Luxembourg carefully will see that the EU made it clear that Turkey can have a place in Europe. It is on Turkey's hands now to move", she added.

The European Council held in Luxembourg last December stated that the strengthening of Turkey's links with the EU depends on the country's pursuit of political and economic reforms, its support for a Cyprus settlement under the aegis of the UN and establishment of satisfactory and stable relations with Greece.

According to the same conclusions, Cyprus officially started talks for accession on March 31.

The European Parliament Socialist Group leader also referred to the assassination attempt against Turkish human rights activist, Akin Birdal, whom she described as "a man of enormous courage and integrity".

"The very last time I met him I asked him how he felt about the threat to his life which was inherent to his job and he was saying that he forced himself to stop worrying about it, because if he did he would simply not be able to carry on the work he was doing. Of course he paid a terrible price with the awful attack this week", she concluded.

CNA MCH/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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