Cyprus News Agency: News in English (PM), 98-06-30

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

CONTENTS

[01] Cyprus Stock Exchange

[02] Kasoulides attends EU working dinner

[03] Cyprus, Poland enhance shipping agreement

[04] Government welcomes UN resolutions

[05] "Money Show" meeting on Saturday

[06] Stranded migrants still on the island

[07] US denies rumours on missing

1430 CYPPRESS:01

[01] Cyprus Stock Exchange

   CSE General Index                          83.58 (-0.58)

   Traded Value            CYP 1,617,628

   Sectural Indices

   Banks                   CYP 1,195,171      96.98 (-0.42)
   Approved Investment
   Companies               CYP    75,627      59.33 ( 1.78)
   Insurance Companies     CYP   118,077      61.01 (-2.82)
   Manufacturing Companies CYP    35,542      76.77 (-0.56)
   Tourism Companies       CYP       590      68.23 (-1.04)
   Trading Companies       CYP    23,156      45.06 (-0.81)
   Other Companies         CYP    54,705      71.09 ( 0.55)

CNA AP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1515:CYPPRESS:02

[02] Kasoulides attends EU working dinner

Over the dinner, British Foreign Secretary, Robin Cook, briefed his counterparts on the outcome of the recent EU Summit, in Cardiff.

Present at the dinner were also the FM of Luxembourg which held the previous six-month EU rotating presidency, the FM of Austria which as from tomorrow, July 1, will take over the EU presidency for the second half of 1998, and EU External Relations Commissioner, responsible for the Union's enlargement, Hans Van den Broek.

Views were exchanged on the results of the Cardiff Summit and the eleven candidate countries' FMs had the chance to express their views on EU enlargement and the Union's foreign policy.

Kasoulides congratulated Cook for the successful British EU presidency and wished every success to Austria's presidency.

The dinner took place on the sidelines of the EU General Affairs Council regular meeting, that marks the end of the British presidency.

Cyprus along with Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia and Estonia started accession talks with the EU in March 1998.

Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, Romania and Bulgaria will be the next group of countries to start accession talks.

CNA AP/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1710:CYPPRESS:03

[03] Cyprus, Poland enhance shipping agreement

The protocol was signed by the Director of the Ministry of Communications and Works, Vassos Pyrgos, and the Undersecretary of Transport and Maritime Economy of Poland, Witold Chodakiewicz.

The protocol replaces two articles of the agreement, to include the new identity documents of Polish sailors.

It also simplifies administration and customs procedures and forbids ships to enter closed ports.

Meanwhile, a joint committee was set up to effectively implement the provisions of the agreement and to examine maritime matters of mutual interest.

After the signing of the protocol, Chodakiewicz said that "it is our privilege to be here in Cyprus", expressing certainty that "our cooperation in this field will be successful".

On his side, Pyrgos said that it is the privilege of Cyprus "to have you here and we hope that this agreement will further enhance the relations between the two countries".

He also said "we feel we have more to share and to exchange in the line of merchant shipping, civilisation and culture, and trade".

CNA RG/MM/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1745:CYPPRESS:04

[04] Government welcomes UN resolutions

It also expressed satisfaction with the clear reference in resolution 1179 that "a Cyprus settlement must be based on a state of Cyprus with a single sovereignty and international personality and a single citizenship."

Government Spokesman Christos Stylianides told his press briefing Tuesday this reference is a categorical response to the efforts by Ankara and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash to undermine the status of the Republic of Cyprus and upgrade the breakaway "state" in the Turkish- occupied areas.

The spokesman expressed the government's satisfaction for the unanimous adoption of both resolutions, the 1178 renewing the mandate of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) until December 31, 1998, and the 1179 on Secretary-General, Kofi Annan's mission of good offices in Cyprus.

He underlined the fact that "they confirm the framework and the principles which should govern a Cyprus solution" and the "basis of intercommunal talks."

"We consider as very important the clear reference to a single sovereignty and international personality and a single citizenship, as it categorically gives, in a substantial way, a reply to the efforts by Turkey and Denktash to undermine the status of the Republic of Cyprus and upgrade the self-styled Turkish Cypriot regime," he said.

Stylianides added that indirectly albeit clearly the Security Council blames the Turkish side for the current impasse in Cyprus, and categorically reaffirms that the present status quo is unacceptable.

He also noted that despite intensive Turkish efforts, resolution 1178 refers to "the government of Cyprus" and the fact that the SC stresses the "importance of gradual demilitarisation as an objective in the context of an overall comprehensive settlement."

The spokesman, however, pointed out the government would rather have the Security Council blaming the Turkish side "more clearly" for its intransigence and the lack of progress.

"We would also prefer if specific practical measures in this direction were included in the resolutions," he added.

Replying to questions, Stylianides said the government fought a "hard" diplomatic battle and stressed that the adoption of these resolutions was a "satisfactory development."

He also said despite the government's efforts to prevent a call on all concerned to commit themselves to a reduction in defence spending, this reference is not considered "adverse".

"We understand the SC's concern on the armaments issues, but we underline our inalienable natural right to self-defence, as provided by paragraph 51 of the UN Charter, and we stress the fact that our proposal for complete demilitarisation is still on, so that no armaments or tensions would exist," he noted.

Stylianides agreed with the SC's decision that there will be no change to the basis of the intercommunal talks on Cyprus and sent the message to any mediator that the government will not accept any change.

The non-inclusion in resolution 1179 of a previous reference that the island's European Union accession course would serve as a "catalyst" in efforts for a Cyprus solution, was not considered essential, Stylianides said, since accession talks have started.

He pointed out that Cyprus' course for EU membership is an independent process and to a great extent an issue regarding no other organisation except the EU.

Noting that resolutions by themselves cannot bring about a solution, the spokesman said:

"It shouldn't be underestimated though that they are very supportive in the Cyprus Republic's efforts to maintain its international status and that finally there will be a start in the process for reaching a comprehensive settlement."

CNA MCH/AP/MM/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1750:CYPPRESS:05

[05] "Money Show" meeting on Saturday

He stressed that the upgrading and expansion of the economic cooperation between Greece and Cyprus is a strategic goal which will contribute to the promotion of the Cyprus question.

Rodousakis was speaking at a press conference in view of the economic conference of the Greek organisation "Money Show", to be held in Nicosia on Saturday.

The conference, to be addressed by President Glafcos Clerides, is entitled "Cyprus as an Economic and Business Gate Between the Middle East and the West" and is organised by the Greek Embassy.

Rodousakis said the participation of representatives from Cypriot and Greek enterprises, mainly from the banking and shipping sectors, representatives of the European Union, and members of the Cyprus Government, make the conference all the more important.

CNA RG/MM/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

2100:CYPPRESS:06

[06] Stranded migrants still on the island

Doctor Antonis Kastanos, of Limassol hospital, told CNA today that 20 persons have so far received medical treatment, ten of them are still in hospital suffering from dehydration.

"Their condition is not serious," he added. The rest were taken to a hotel in the southern coastal town of Limassol.

Police are investigating the circumstances under which "Rita Allah", a trawler carrying more than 100 people of Arab and African origin, believed to be illegal immigrants, with a six-member crew, was found stranded off the coast of Cyprus in the early hours of Monday.

Police told CNA Monday two of the illegal immigrants on board died during the journey and were thrown into the sea. According to the police one of the dead men is a 23-year-old Nigerian, but the second one has not been identified yet.

The boat was located in international waters by a Russian vessel, which having informed the Cypriot authorities, towed the boat to the port of Limassol. She had broken down while sailing from the northern Lebanese port of Tripoli to Libya.

Doros Polycarpou of the Coordinating Movement for the Support of Foreigners told CNA today the treatment offered to them was "satisfactory".

Polycarpou noted that Police consider these people "illegal immigrants" and said they do not possess any travel documents. It is not sure whether Syria, their departure point, will accept them, adding they will be in danger if they are sent back to their countries.

The foreigners are nationals from Iraq, Rwanda, Sudan, Syria, Bangladesh, Burundi, Lebanon, Sierra Leone, Libya, Liberia, Egypt, Zaire, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Somalia and India.

"The Cyprus government is obliged to accept political refugees designated by the UN as such," the activist said and stressed the government has to investigate the case and hand over its findings to the UN, which will decide on the status of the people.

Polycarpou said these foreigners should be granted a temporary visa until investigations are completed.

"These people were not meant to end up in Cyprus in this way. They were promised they would be taken to a European country," he said.

The captain of the trawler, Syrian national Mohamed Hadjimoustafa, 31, was remanded in custody for eight days accused of illegally and dangerously transporting people, including were women and children.

CNA RM/MCH/AP/MM/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

2130:CYPPRESS:07

[07] US denies rumours on missing

State Department spokesman, Lee Mac Leeny, said that the US does not know where they are buried and reports contrary to this "are simply not true".

He said that "we are not able to locate any remains from any of the other four missing Americans" and reaffirmed that "we will of course follow up any new information we receive on their fate".

Mac Leeny referred to a US report on the American missing which stated clearly that "the US was able to locate only the remains of Andreas Kassapis", who was one of them.

Meanwhile, a State Department official, who deals with issues regarding Cyprus, told CNA that because of the rumours, the Cyprus Coordinator, Thomas Miller, discussed the issue with Ambassador Robert Dillon, the author of the report, who told him that there is no information on where the four American citizens are buried.

CNA RG/MM/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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