Cyprus News Agency: News in English (AM), 98-07-02

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

CONTENTS

[01] Top UN envoy arrives in Cyprus

[02] Cyprus rejects defence spending reduction, says FM

[03] US hopes Cordovez's visit will lead to direct peace talks

[04] Cuban supports Cyprus cause

[05] Cyprus Stock Exchange

0845:CYPPRESS:01

[01] Top UN envoy arrives in Cyprus

Cordovez will be received this afternoon by President Glafcos Clerides and will see Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash later on.

During his stay on the island, the top UN envoy, who will leave on Saturday, may have more meetings with the leaders of the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities.

On Saturday, Cordovez will have private talks with Dame Ann Hercus, the new Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Cyprus and chief of mission of the UN operations in Cyprus.

Hercus arrives here Friday morning to replace outgoing Gustave Feissel, who retires.

Before his departure on Saturday, Cordovez will give a press conference on the results of his visit.

CNA AP/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1000:CYPPRESS:02

[02] Cyprus rejects defence spending reduction, says FM

He noted, however, the government's readiness to implement the provision of recent UN Security Council resolution 1178 (1998) on Cyprus calling on all parties to commit themselves to a as a first step to "eventual demilitarisation."

Kasoulides was speaking to the press Wednesday night on return from Luxembourg, where he attended a working dinner the former British presidency of the European Union (EU) hosted for the Foreign Ministers of the eleven candidate countries for EU membership.

The dinner took place on the sidelines of the EU General Affairs Council regular meeting, that marked the end of the six-month British EU rotating presidency. Austria took over yesterday the EU presidency for the second half of 1998.

Kasoulides expressed satisfaction with the content of the two UN resolutions, 1178 and 1179 (1998) on the renewal of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) and the Secretary-General's good offices mission on Cyprus, adopted unanimously by the Security Council earlier this week.

He noted that their content has shown that Turkish efforts to upgrade the illegal regime in the Turkish-occupied areas of Cyprus have failed.

The Foreign Minister described as "unfortunate" a reference in the 1178 calling on the reduction in defence spending "to help restore confidence between the parties."

Kasoulides pointed out that the presence of Turkish occupation troops on the island is the reason forcing the Greek Cypriot side to continue bolstering its defences.

He also expressed the government readiness to discuss a provision calling for the reduction of Turkish occupation troops and the freeze of armaments by the National Guard, with the objective that a specific timetable for demilitarisation is agreed.

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

CNA AA/AP/GP/1998

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1115:CYPPRESS:03

[03] US hopes Cordovez's visit will lead to direct peace talks

Speaking after a meeting this morning with President Glafcos Clerides, US Ambassador to Cyprus, Kenneth Brill, expressed the hope that Cordovez's visit "will be productive and... will help the process move towards direct negotiations."

Quoting US Ambassador to the UN, Bill Richardson, Brill said the US support the Secretary-General's mission of good offices.

Asked to comment on Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash's reaction to this week's UN Security Council resolutions on Cyprus, Brill said the reactions that came out of Ankara and Denktash "speak for themselves."

He described the resolutions which were passed as "good" and noted that "we now need to move on and do some things."

Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot leader strongly reacted to resolutions 1178 and 1179 on the renewal of the mandate of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) and the continuation of the Secretary-General's good offices mission.

Turkey claimed that the Security Council obstructs rather than facilitate a solution to the Cyprus problem.

To a question who will take over from US Presidential Emissary, Richard Holbrooke, who was appointed US Ambassador to the UN, Brill said: "I don't think that we can assume or should assume that anybody is going to take over from Dick."

He said Holbrooke had said he expects to remain very much involved in the Cyprus issue.

"He is the President's Special Emissary until he is not," Brill said, adding that it is up to President Clinton (to replace him), "but it is premature to speculate before he has his Senate confirmation hearings."

Asked when the hearing will take place, Brill said it is a long and complicated process.

Invited to comment on a two-day meeting in Oslo between Greek and Turkish Cypriot business representatives, chaired by Holbrooke, Brill said it was "a useful step forward and the statement which came out was good."

"It was an opportunity for people to have the chance to talk directly to one another," he said, noting that since December there have been a number of indirect contacts with people in the group.

Referring to his meeting with Clerides, Brill described it as a "good chance to catch up with the President," since the ambassador is going away on vacation on Sunday and returning the first week in August.

During his absence, Brill will go to Washington for a week to work on the Cyprus problem.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37 percent of the island's territory.

CNA EC/AP/1998

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1220:CYPPRESS:04

[04] Cuban supports Cyprus cause

Cuba's position was set out at a meeting here today with President Glafcos Clerides by a two-member delegation, comprising Chairman of the Cuba-Cyprus Friendship Group and Secretary-General of the Cuban Parliament, Ernest Suarez Mendez, and MP Leonard Martinez Lopez.

President Clerides briefed them on the latest developments in the Cyprus problem.

Speaking after the meeting, Mendez said they looked over the relations between the two countries, adding that the positions of Cuba and Cyprus are identical "in defending our just causes".

He said today's meeting with the Cypriot President "has contributed towards improving the relations between Cyprus and Cuba".

The Cuban delegation briefed President Clerides on developments in Cuba and the economic embargo imposed on their country.

CNA AA/RG/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1445:CYPPRESS:05

[05] Cyprus Stock Exchange

   CSE General Index                          83.16 (-0.41)

   Traded Value            CYP   514,006

   Sectural Indices

   Banks                   CYP   185,047      96.83 (-0.31)
   Approved Investment
   Companies               CYP     1,558      58.30 (-0.85)
   Insurance Companies     CYP    52,070      59.19 (-1.89)
   Manufacturing Companies CYP    22,821      76.80 ( 0.47)
   Tourism Companies       CYP    25,610      68.88 (-0.35)
   Trading Companies       CYP    42,690      44.70 (-0.40)
   Other Companies         CYP   116,998      69.48 (-0.74)

CNA MCH/1998

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