Cyprus News Agency: News in English (AM), 98-07-18

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

CONTENTS

[01] Britain - armaments - solution

[02] Cyprus issues Euro bond

[03] Spokesman - missiles press reports

[04] Government - protests - Turkish vessels, aircraft

1100:CYPPRESS:01

[01] Britain - armaments - solution

The statement was made by Doug Henderson, Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office when invited by Michael Howard, Shadow Foreign Secretary to outline the consultations Britain has had with its European Union partners on the proposed deployment of the Russian S-300 anti-aircraft missiles in Cyprus.

Henderson said that although measures to reduce tension have a role to play, "the best way is by means of a comprehensive political settlement".

He said Britain continues to work actively in support of the UN-led peace process and looks to the leaders of both communities in Cyprus to do the same.

Henderson noted that the overwhelming majority of the UK's EU partners share its concern that "deployment would exacerbate tension in the region".

The UK has expressed its concern to the government of Cyprus and "shall continue to do so", he added.

Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides has said plans to deploy the surface- to-air missiles would be postponed or cancelled, if sufficient progress is made towards a negotiated settlement which would lead to the island's demilitarisation.

Turkish troops have been occupying 37 percent of Cyprus' territory since they invaded in 1974, in violation of repeated UN resolutions calling for their withdrawal.

CNA KT/EC/MM/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1110:CYPPRESS:02

[02] Cyprus issues Euro bond

This is the first time Cyprus has issued a Euro bond in ECU, which will be converted into Euro as from 1 January, 1999 when eleven of the 15 EU member-states will adopt the Euro as their currency.

Foreign investors showed a keen interest in the bond, which meant the amount spent on issuing the bond has been fully recovered, an official statement said.

Cyprus stands to gain from this financial move, according to dealers, in that it may obtain a low cost loan, the statement added.

CNA MM/EC/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1400:CYPPRESS:03

[03] Spokesman - missiles press reports

His comments come in response to claims in the Turkish daily "Yeni Yuzil" that seven batteries of the Russian anti-aircraft missile system S- 300 have arrived in the government controlled areas of the Republic of Cyprus.

"The Cyprus government has long adopted a policy of not commenting on security and defence issues", Government Spokesman, Christos Stylianides told CNA here Saturday.

The report, carried by the German News Agency "DPA", alleged that Turkish intelligence units received information that the batteries had been flown into the island and were currently being kept in three underground warehouses, near the Paphos airbase in the western part of the island.

"The government is not prepared to fall in the trap which some are trying to set up in order to focus discussions on armaments instead of the substance of the Cyprus problem and the demilitarisation of Cyprus, which will automatically resolve all problems relating to tension and armaments", the Spokesman told CNA.

The Turkish daily claimed that "five radars and control panels for the S-300 had earlier been received by Greek Cypriot officials."

Turkish sources were quoted as saying that they have already taken the necessary measures, but they are now expanding them.

Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides has said plans to deploy the surface- to-air missiles would be postponed or cancelled, if sufficient progress is made towards a negotiated settlement which would lead to the island's demilitarisation.

CNA EC/MM/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1510:CYPPRESS:04

[04] Government - protests - Turkish vessels, aircraft

According to Turkish Cypriot press reports six ships docked today at the northern occupied port of Kyrenia and about ten NF-5 aircraft landed in the occupied airport at Lefkoniko, to participate in events marking the invasion Turkey launched against Cyprus on 20 July 1974.

"Such actions by Turkey these days constitutes a provocation and a challenge to the international community to take a clear cut position against those who create tension on the island," Government Spokesman Christos Stylianides said in a statement here today.

The Foreign Ministry, he added, is making all necessary diplomatic moves to protest the new Turkish provocative actions.

Stylianides pointed out that the arrival of the Turkish ships and aircraft in occupied Cyprus "proves once more Turkey's provocative stance and its intransigent intentions as far as efforts to settle the Cyprus question are concerned."

The Spokesman also recalled that President of the Republic Glafcos Clerides has proposed the "sole substantive way out, that of demilitarising Cyprus and he has put forward ideas and views on this matter."

Turkey responds to President Clerides' peaceful moves with a display of its expansionist designs, Stylianides noted.

President Clerides' proposal on the demilitarisation, originally put forward in December 1993, was reiterated last month in a letter to the UN Secretary-General in which the President repeated his commitment "to reconsider the issue of non-importation of new weapons systems to Cyprus provided that progress is made on a schedule which includes a number of measures and steps leading towards the eventual goal of demilitarisation."

Turkey has rejected the President's proposal.

CNA MM/EC/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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