Cyprus News Agency: News in English (PM), 98-10-02

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

CONTENTS

[01] Cyprus Ombudsman - Malta

[02] Cyprus - UN process

[03] House of Representatives - Annual Review

[04] Congratulatory messages - Russia - Germany

[05] EDEK leader - European Socialists

[06] Turkish Cypriot leader - UN

[07] British - Argentine Defence Ministers - Cyprus visit

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[01] Cyprus Ombudsman - Malta

The Ombudsmen will meet from 7 to 9 October for a sixth round table organised by the Council of Europe.

They will look at ways of improving human rights protection of refugees and asylum - seekers and persons deprived of liberty.

Charalambus told CNA that he would speak at the meeting on the subject "The human rights of the refugees and the asylum seekers".

The last session of the round table meeting was held in Limassol, Cyprus, two years ago.

Charalambus will also attend the annual meeting of the European Ombudsmen, which will also be held in Malta on October 6.

CNA AA/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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[02] Cyprus - UN process

He also said the government has already made representations about a change in the text of a revised statement by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, which effectively put President Glafcos Clerides and the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community on an equal footing.

"As far as the reduction of tensions is concerned, we stick to UN resolutions whose basis is the bicommunal, bizonal federation in line with the very important statement by the permanent members of the UN Security Council," Stylianides told his daily press briefing.

Annan proposed in a statement on Wednesday after meeting President Clerides and Denktash that his special envoy for Cyprus develop a process "for on-island contacts with both parties, with the goal of reducing tensions and promoting progress towards a just and lasting settlement."

Stylianides said it was important to clarify which issues these contacts will include and added "matters referred to in UN resolutions 1178 and 1179 (1998) should be on the agenda."

Resolution 1178 calls on the parties to avoid any actions which might increase tension and resolution 1179 calls for a reduction of foreign troops and as a first step towards the withdrawal of non-Cypriot forces, it stresses the importance of eventual demilitarisation.

"We do not consider that talks on the reduction of tension and security should deal exclusively with the ongoing military dialogue (tackling unmanning, unloading of weapons and code of conduct along the buffer zone), " the Spokesman said.

He expressed the readiness of the Greek Cypriot side to engage at any given time in any process relating to issues of substance of the Cyprus question on the basis of UN resolutions.

Commenting on the change in the wording of Annan's press release, Stylianides stressed "there is no doubt the UN recognise the Republic of Cyprus and its President, who addressed the General Assembly according to the UN protocol.

"This is telling proof that the UN fully recognises the Cyprus Republic and Mr. Clerides as its President," he added.

On the change in the text, Stylianides said "the government has already made representations and demarches about the change."

The original text referred to Annan's meetings with "the President of the Republic of Cyprus Glafcos Clerides and the leader of the Turkish Cypriot community Rauf Denktash."

The corrected version referred to "his excellency Mr Glafcos Clerides and his excellency Mr Rauf Denktash."

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37 per cent of its territory.

CNA MM/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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[03] House of Representatives - Annual Review

Speaking at a press conference to present the House annual report which covers the period from October 1997 to August 1998, Kyprianou pointed out that the legislative body "must work hard" to secure Cyprus' harmonisation which is essential to the island's European course.

The harmonisation of the legislation has already began, he noted, adding the House's work towards that goal in the period under review has been "productive".

According to a summary of the report, the period under review was "productive in all respects and House members were very active in promoting the Cyprus question". The House was also, to a certain degree, "involved in the harmonisation process in Cyprus' accession negotiations."

Cyprus applied for European Union membership in 1990. The island started accession talks with the EU last March.

The report notes the landmark visit to the House by Greek President Costis Stephanopoulos in June this year, the first such event in the history of the House.

"There were no specific problems in the cooperation with the executive on a political and departmental level," the report said.

Two hundred thirteen bills have been tabled of which 175 were approved in the period under review.

The most important bills approved by the House concerned the regulation of the TV and Radio stations, tenders, state scholarships, criminal law, patent, organised tours and assessment of candidates for appointment to the public service.

House Committee members visited numerous locations around the island to see for themselves the problems faced by hospital, schools, airports, the Central Prisons, industrial estates and held meetings with foreign as well as local officials.

Cypriot deputies represented the House in 36 overseas missions, including a seminar on "Agenda 2000", the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Cooperation and Security in Europe, the Interparliamentary Union and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.

Seventeen parliamentary missions visited Cyprus between October 1997 and August this year from Austria, Kuwait, Britain, Germany, Finland, Russia, Sweden, Cuba and Greece.

Five parties are represented in the 56-seat House.

CNA MM/GG/EC/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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[04] Congratulatory messages - Russia - Germany

In a congratulatory message to President Glafcos Clerides on the occasion of Cyprus' Independence Day celebrated yesterday, Yeltsin noted that the "relations of traditional friendship and mutual understanding that exist between the peoples of our countries, are a solid base for further intensification of cooperation between Russia and Cyprus".

This, he said, will be "for the benefit of a comprehensive, just and viable settlement of the Cyprus problem and in the interests of safeguarding peace and security in the Eastern Mediterranean."

In his message to President Clerides on the occasion of yesterday's Cyprus Independence Day, Russia's Ambassador to Cyprus, Georgi Mouratov, reassured that the Russian Federation "will continue its efforts to find a just and overall settlement of the Cyprus problem, which will be strictly based on UN resolutions on Cyprus".

He also conveyed Russia's support for the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Cyprus".

In his message, Roman Herzog, President of the Federal Republic of Germany, expressed the hope that "it will be possible to resume the talks aimed at overcoming the division" of Cyprus and to "find a just solution, acceptable to all sides, to the underlying conflict".

He said "this would pave the way for an undivided Cyprus to join the European Union at an early date."

Herzog also said the people of Cyprus and Germany have "long-standing friendly ties" and added that he is convinced the "close economic and cultural relations between our countries will continue to thrive."

President of Cuba, Fidel Castro, in his message, renewed his country's "goodwill to further strengthen and expand the friendly bonds and cooperation existing between our countries".

Congratulatory messages were also sent by the presidents of Israel, China, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Libya, Bulgaria, Portugal and other countries.

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

CNA EC/GG/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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[05] EDEK leader - European Socialists

A press release issued by EDEK said the meeting will examine the development of financial prospects in Europe, the new European society model, security, democracy, social solidarity and relations between the European Union and citizens of Europe.

CNA EC/GG/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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[06] Turkish Cypriot leader - UN

United Nations, Oct 2 (CNA) -- Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash today reiterated his intransigent position that he will not participate in negotiations for a settlement in Cyprus until his illegal regime in the Turkish-occupied areas is recognised.

At a press conference at the UN headquarters in New York, he also blamed the European Union for the deadlock in Cyprus, he supported that the government of Cyprus "does not want a bizonal, bicommunal federation" as stipulated in UN resolutions, and announced that he has given the Secretary- General a dossier on this issue to prove his point.

Denktash said that "on-island shuttle diplomacy" will now begin, that will focus on the reduction of tensions, and added that "when our status as an equal partner is accepted on the same par, on the same status, then we are ready to talk face-to-face."

"Shuttle diplomacy has to start, has to be successful and then we have to move to another stage and finally to face-to-face talks provided our status is acknowledged," he added, supporting that President Glafcos Clerides has to be told clearly that "he is not the government of the Turkish Cypriots."

President Clerides is recognised internationally as the President of the Republic of Cyprus. Turkey, which occupies 37 per cent of Cyprus territory since 1974, is the only country to recognise the bogus state unilaterally declared in 1983.

Denktash spent around 20 minutes of his press conference to support his intransigent views, by distorting facts and events on the island since it gained independence from Britain in 1960.

Referring to the high-level agreements reached between the two sides in 1977 and 1979, envisaging a bizonal bicommunal federation, signed by himself, Denktash supported that the Greek Cypriot side "never believed in such solution" but accepted it for "tactical reasons."

With regard to Cyprus' application to join the EU, he supported that several member states' representatives had told him the Union is "quite aware of the damage done to the process of a settlement..."

"But they say the process of the EU is such that there is no possibility of reversing this, so probably they will delay the application for as long as possible in order to give Cyprus the chance to reunite," he added.

Denktash said he came to New York to explain to the Secretary-General his proposal for confederation of two states in Cyprus, already rejected by the UN and the five Permanent Members of the Security Council, and told him he is ready for some kind of movement on the Cyprus issue "provided that our status is recognised."

Security Council resolution 541 of November 1983, unanimously approved immediately after the unilateral declaration of independence in the Turkish- occupied areas, and subsequent resolutions deplored the UDI as "legally invalid" urged for its withdrawal and called on all states not to recognise or assist this illegal entity.

"The Security Council has its own resolutions, and cannot change immediately", Denktash admitted, "but I'm glad to report that the Secretary- General, as announced by him, has come to the conclusion that the first thing to do is to correct the differences between the two communities, the lack of confidence which has prevented a settlement so far."

He added that Ann Hercus, the UN Resident Representative, will start shuttle diplomacy between the two sides "in order to start some confidence building measures", such as the deconfrontation of soldiers in certain areas.

Denktash also referred to his proposal for the establishment of a committee for the exchange of property and compensation between the two parties, already rejected by the Cyprus government.

Asked if the deployment of the S300 surface-to-air missiles will be postponed during this shuttle diplomacy, the Turkish Cypriot leader supported that "everyday that I have contacted believes that the missiles will not come... "We'll wait and see. If the missiles come then a new situation arises which will not be conducive to a Cyprus settlement," he added.

Replying to a question, he said there is no timetable to the "on-island shuttle diplomacy", adding "we should not waste time".

"There is an agenda to start it with and first on top of the list will be the Secretary-General's offer about deconfrontation. We have to start with that immediately and then other matters connected with it will be talked about".

He supported that his proposal for exchange of property and the signing of an agreement for non-aggression undersigned by Greece and Turkey will also be on the agenda.

Earlier today Denktash met the President of the Security Council, Permanent Representative of Britain Jeremy Greenstock. Later today will meet US Presidential Emissary for Cyprus Richard Holbrooke.

CNA MA/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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[07] British - Argentine Defence Ministers - Cyprus visit

According to a spokesman of the British Forces, Robertson will visit the UN headquarters in Nicosia on Tuesday.

The spokesman avoided answering a question whether Robertson will meet with officials of the Cyprus government, noting that at the moment the programme is being finalised.

He said the British Secretary will "visit the UN on Tuesday and there is going to be a photo opportunity".

Meanwhile, Argentine Minister of Defence, Jorge Dominguez, is scheduled to arrive from London in Larnaca on October 5, for a one-day visit.

During his stay, he will pay a joint visit to UNFICYP troops with Robertson.

UNFICYP has been stationed on the island since 1964. The 1.268-strong force patrols the 180-kilometre buffer zone across the island.

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

CNA GG/EC/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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