Cyprus News Agency: News in English (AM), 98-07-13

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

CONTENTS

[01] Cyprus President attends Moscow ceremony

[02] Boat people to return home

[03] Cyprus joins LEV

[04] Clerides meets Yeltsin

[05] Russia - Cyprus - missiles

[06] Government - Israeli newspaper

0830:CYPPRESS:01

[01] Cyprus President attends Moscow ceremony

Moscow, Jul 13 (CNA) -- Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides attended here yesterday the ceremony of welcoming the Olympic flame to Moscow, as guest of honour, which took place at the City Hall in Treskayia Square.

Seated at the front row of chairs, President Clerides was accompanied by Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides, Under Secretary to the President, Pantelis Kouros and Cyprus' Ambassador in Moscow, Platon Kyriakides.

The Olympic flame was carried by a young athlete, who lit the Olympic torch. The city hall, full of spectators and groups of athletes, was decorated appropriately with a display of five Olympic rings and the square while strict security measures were in force,

In his welcoming remarks, the city mayor, Yury Luzhkov, speaking though an interpreter, said the flame was lit by the sun and had arrived from Greece. Some 5.000 Russian athletes carried the flame through 13 districts and 40 cities in Russia.

He also expressed gratitude to the President of the International Olympic Committee, IOC, Juan Antonio Saramarch for choosing Moscow to host the first World Youth Games, in which about 7.500 athletes from 137 countries are participating.

The ceremony, which lasted about 30 minutes, was concluded with dances from young girls, clad in the colours of the Russian flag.

CNA MM/EC/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

0940:CYPPRESS:02

[02] Boat people to return home

Interior Minister, Dinos Michaelides said that soon all procedures for the immigrants' deportation would be completed and they would be returned to their homelands.

The immigrants, who are staying under police guard at a hotel in the southern coastal town of Limassol, have complained that they are not allowed to leave the hotel.

Around 20 policemen have been assigned to guard them while the government is investigating their true identities and making efforts to issue new travel documents for the 109 immigrants from Rwanda, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Lebanon, Iraq, Sudan, Libya, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

They left Tripoli, Lebanon, on June 18 on a small Syrian-flagged fishing boat after paying as much as 5.000 dollars each to go to either Greece or Italy.

Without food or fresh drinking water, the migrants were found 11 days later by a Ukrainian-flagged commercial vessel which towed it to Cyprus on June 29.

Following reports that frustration was taking its toll on the immigrants, Michaelides said the situation is now under control.

However, he stressed that despite their wish to remain in Cyprus, the law and international regulations will be implemented.

CNA SS/EC/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1030:CYPPRESS:03

[03] Cyprus joins LEV

According to a Cyprus Telecommunications Authority (CYTA) report, the cable, entitled "LEV" will come into operation in the beginning of 1999.

The landing points will be Israel (Tel Aviv), Cyprus (Yeroskipou) and Italy (Mazara).

Cyprus will participate in the system through the Israeli MED1 Submarine Cable Ltd company, which has undertaken the cable's construction, operation and maintenance.

The agreement is considered "a big success" in CYTA's plans to reinforce its role as a telecommunications hub in the region.

CNA EC/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1115:CYPPRESS:04

[04] Clerides meets Yeltsin

Moscow, Jul 13 (CNA) -- Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides met here Monday with Russian President, Boris Yeltsin.

Welcoming Clerides, who is in Moscow as the guest of honour of mayor, Yury Luzhkov, on the occasion of the World Youth Games, Yeltsin said "we are happy you are here with your associates for a working visit".

He said it is not the first time he meets President Clerides and added "we have good and stable relations and we are ready to discuss the problems which have accumulated."

Yeltsin added, "I understand your situation is not as simple". President Clerides was accompanied by Foreign Minister, Ioannis Kasoulides, and Under-Secretary to the President, Pantelis Kouros.

On the part of Russia, the meeting was also attended by Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov and the Kremlin's advisor for Foreign Relations. (more later)

CNA MM/EC/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1210:CYPPRESS:05

[05] Russia - Cyprus - missiles

Moscow, Jul 13 (CNA) -- Cyprus and Russian Presidents have confirmed the two countries' readiness to go ahead with the implementation of an agreement for the delivery of Russian-made S-300 surface-to-air to Cyprus.

President Glafcos Clerides and Russian President Boris Yeltsin had a 20- minute meeting in the Kremlin today.

Yeltsin's aide Sergei Prikhodko said after the meeting that "it was confirmed what had been repeatedly agreed - the two parties' readiness to honour the earlier assumed obligations" relating to the delivery of Russian S-300 air defence systems to the Republic of Cyprus.

Prikhodko noted that the military - technical cooperation between Russia and Cyprus "is an integral part of our inter-state relations."

The Cyprus government signed a contract with Russian manufacturers in January 1997 for the purchase of S-300 surface-to-air missiles, in a bid to bolster Cyprus' air defences, in case of new Turkish offensive. They are scheduled to be deployed later this year.

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

Prikhodko said the two Presidents expressed satisfaction and there was identity of views on the prospects and ways to solve the Cyprus problem.

He said President Clerides thanked Yeltsin for Moscow's stance on the Cyprus problem and the positions expressed within the framework of the UN Security Council.

Yeltsin's aide said the two countries expressed their desire to strengthen even further economic relations between Russia and Cyprus.

CNA/MM/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1400:CYPPRESS:06

[06] Government - Israeli newspaper

Government Spokesman Christos Stylianides said the "Ha'aretz" article is "not precise".

He added that "the government has not made Israel an official proposal to intervene on the issue of the Russian-made S-300 anti-aircraft missile system."

According to the Athens News Agency, the newspaper yesterday wrote that Cyprus and the US had asked Israel to use its influence and good relations with Turkey to defuse the tension, but was unsuccessful.

Turkish Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz warned that Ankara would install missiles in the areas of Cyprus it occupies since 1974 if the Cyprus government went ahead with the deployment of the S-300 surface-to-air missiles it ordered in 1997.

The Israeli newspaper quoted an unnamed Foreign Ministry official as saying that the issue was discussed during the recent visit to Israel by Turkish Foreign Minister Ismael Cem.

Stylianides said in all its discussions with foreign governments, the Cyprus government puts forward the Turkish threats against Cyprus.

"We tell them that they must underline to Ankara that it has to conform with international law and UN resolutions", the Cypriot official added.

CNA EC/MA/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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