Cyprus News Agency: News in English (PM), 98-09-28

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

CONTENTS

[01] Conference - Greece, Cyprus, Israel

[02] Greek Defence Minister - official visit

[03] Cyprus EU negotiator - Warsaw meeting

[04] US - Kasoulides - Pickering

[05] Marine Insurance meeting

[06] Human Rights - Seminar

1730:CYPPRESS:01

[01] Conference - Greece, Cyprus, Israel

The meeting, to be held on Saturday 10 October, is organised by the Cyprus Research Centre (KYKEM) and will be attended by prominent academics from all three countries.

The conference aims to instigate discussion on current issues of concern to the three participating countries and present, from an academic point of view, developments in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Delegates will evaluate the important structural changes in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Near East after the end of the Cold War, examine the developing political and military dynamics in the Eastern Mediterranean and the impact of the trilateral relations between Greece, Cyprus and Israel and discuss the ongoing regional developments.

Discussions are expected to touch upon the military cooperation agreement between Israel and Turkey, the purchase of Russian anti-aircraft missiles by Cyprus and the joint Greco-Cypriot defence pact, agreed on in November 1993.

According to the draft programme, House President Spyros Kyprianou will open the meeting. Greek Ambassador Kyriakos Rodousakis and Israeli Ambassador Shemi Tzur will speak at the opening ceremony as well as KYKEM President Tonis Toumazis.

Speakers include Vangelis Koufoudakis, of Indiana University in the US, Moshe Maoz of the Harry Truman Research Institute of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and Shlomo Avineri, of the Institute of European Studies, of the same university.

The Director of the Jaffe Centre for Strategic Studies of Tel Aviv University, Shai Feldman, will be here to air his views as well.

Professors Marios Evriviades and Athanasios Platias, of the Institute of International Relations of the Pantion University in Athens will be among the distinguished speakers.

Conference coordinator Christos Iacovou of KYKEM will also address delegates.

The organisers, KYKEM, was founded in September 1983 and operates as an autonomous and non-profit society with a view to contributing to the scientific and cultural development of the Cypriot people, studying and carrying out research on various scientific, cultural and social economic problems and safeguarding human rights in Cyprus.

KYKEM has organised in the past seminars, conferences and lectures on a variety of topics, including tourism, the Stock Exchange, Greek foreign policy and the Cyprus problem and European Union related matters.

CNA MM/EC/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1840:CYPPRESS:02

[02] Greek Defence Minister - official visit

Tsohatzopoulos arrives on Wednesday morning and will first meet Omirou at noon before visiting the National Guard command.

Later the same day he will meet the House Defence Committee and House President, Spyros Kyprianou.

On Thursday, the Greek Minister will be received by President Glafcos Clerides and the Primate of the Church of Cyprus, Archbishop Chrysostomos.

He will also have separate meetings with party leaders and attend a formal reception on the occasion of the national day.

On Friday, Tsohatzopoulos and Omirou will give a joint press conference before the Greek minister's departure.

CNA MM/EC/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1910:CYPPRESS:03

[03] Cyprus EU negotiator - Warsaw meeting

Shortly after his arrival in the Polish capital, Vassiliou was expected to have a working lunch with the country's Deputy Foreign Minister, Andrzej Anacnicz.

Vassiliou is accompanied by officials who will attend special workshops on how to improve cooperation between the delegations of the candidate countries.

Cyprus, along with five Central and Eastern European countries, started accession negotiations in March this year.

CNA MM/EC/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

2015:CYPPRESS:04

[04] US - Kasoulides - Pickering

New York, Sep 28 (CNA) -- Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides has confirmed that the Turkish side continues to maintain its negative positions on issues currently under discussion in a bid to help reach a solution in Cyprus.

"US Presidential Emissary, Richard Holbrooke, and State Department Coordinator Thomas Miller, who have talked to the Turks, do not bring us good news from the Turkish side," Kasoulides said after a meeting here today with Thomas Pickering, US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs.

Kasoulides, who accompanied President Glafcos Clerides to the UN General Assembly, is continuing his contacts in New York after the President's departure following his address to the Assembly.

Speaking after his hour long meeting with Pickering, the Minister said "we are discussing issues we have been discussing for quite some time now, ways to get out of the present stalemate in the Cyprus problem as a result of the positions adopted by the Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktash."

On August 31, Denktash presented a proposal for a Cyprus confederation on the basis of two sovereign and equal states and warned this was the only structure that would provide for the security of both sides.

President Clerides rejected the proposal outright and stressed this was contrary to agreements Denktash himself had signed to set up a bicommunal, bizonal federation in Cyprus and to UN resolutions on Cyprus.

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

Commenting on American attempts to produce some kind of formula to break the current deadlock, Kasoulides replied "I wish we would see the time when they would be in a position to present the formula to overcome the deadlock because such a formula would be acceptable and we shall announce that."

"The US would like to have more time to continue their efforts (on security matters) as they consider they have not exhausted all the possibilities. So far we have not seen any room to manoeuvre but we shall wait," the minister said of American attempts related to security concerns in connection with a fresh postponement of the arrival of Russian anti-aircraft missiles in Cyprus.

Present at today's meeting was Thomas Miller. Kasoulides is due to have separate meetings today with his counterparts from Malta, San Marino and Turkmenistan.

CNA MA/MM/EC/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

2030:CYPPRESS:05

[05] Marine Insurance meeting

In his address to the meeting, Finance Minister Christodoulos Christodoulou, said Cyprus ranks fifth on the list of the leading maritime nations and outlined the country's comparative advantages.

The Minister's address, read by Frixos Sorokos, Director of the Division of Investment and Funding of the Ministry, said Cyprus offers numerous tax incentives and inexpensive registration and annual fees.

"However, the Cyprus flag should not be regarded as a flag of convenience," the address stressed, noting that Cyprus has ratified the major international conventions on maritime safety, prevention of sea pollution, training, certification and watchkeeping of seafarers.

It was also noted that Cyprus has been transformed into one of the largest third-party shipmanagement centres in the world, with about 100 offshore enterprises in 1996 with fully fledged offices engaged in shipmanagement and other maritime services.

The two-day meeting, organised by the ES Insurance Training College, will discuss issues relating to insurance of vessels and cargo transportation, European Union policy on sea safety and prevention of sea pollution.

CNA MM/EC/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

2130:CYPPRESS:06

[06] Human Rights - Seminar

The meeting, organised by the International Association for the Protection of Human Rights in Cyprus and the Directorate of Human Rights of the Council of Europe, will be opened by House President Spyros Kyprianou and will be addressed by Attorney General Alecos Markides and Justice Minister Nicos Koshis.

The principle of equal treatment or non discrimination as an aspect of the court's fundamental rights jurisprudence, human rights in the external relations of the EU and Media Law in the context of the EU and the European Convention of Human Rights, are some of the topics the seminar will tackle.

"The importance of our main theme for Cyprus is obvious, given the problems of human rights violations by Turkey in the areas it occupies and the role the EU can play on this matter in view of Cyprus' prospect for accession to the Union," Association President Loukis Loukaides told a press conference.

He said the Association aims to inform people abroad about the violation of human rights in Cyprus and the contravention of international law by Turkey, which occupies since 1974 the island's northern part.

Replying to questions, Loukaides said Cyprus fairs very well in terms of respect for human rights.

Loukaides and the Association's vice president Christos Clerides will also address the opening ceremony of the meeting, to take place in the southern coastal town of Limassol.

Clerides told the press that Turkey in the past couple of years was convicted for serious violations of human rights with regard to the Kurdish problem and matters relating to the right to freedom and life.

He said Cyprus needs to adjust some of its current rules governing human rights to comply with Council of Europe norms.

Speakers at the seminar include Federico Mancini, Judge of the Court of the European Communities, Allan Rosas, Principal Legal Adviser of the European Commission and professor Christos Rozakis, vice president of the new European Court of Human Rights.

Professor Georg Ress will talk on media law in the context of the EU and the European Convention of Human Rights and Andrew Clapham, associate professor of Public International law, will outline his views on the role of the EU and its human rights policy in a multilateral fora including the Council of Europe.

CNA DP/MM/EC/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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