Cyprus News Agency: News in English (AM), 98-11-17

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

CONTENTS

[01] Socialdemocratic platform - Meeting

[02] House President - British MPs

[03] Cypriot students - March

[04] Cyprus Stock Exchange

0940:CYPPRESS:01

[01] Socialdemocratic platform - Meeting

EDEK, the United Democrats, the New Horizons, the Movement to Restructure the Centre and the Movement for Political Renewal have agreed on the ideology of a new platform and the island's accession course to the European Union.

The first two parties are represented in the House of Representatives. EDEK participates in President Glafcos Clerides' government, while United Democrats President George Vassiliou has been appointed head of Cyprus' team negotiating accession to the European Union.

However, they have not yet completed a discussion on finding mutual positions on the Cyprus problem. For this reason, they decided to form a committee which will examine the positions of all parties, in an effort to find common ground.

MP Lyssarides (former House President), who initiated the discussion, said it was unanimously agreed that the ideological stigma of the new platform would be that of the European socialist party and Socialist International.

Leaders or party representatives said they were satisfied with the results of the meeting and expressed optimism that they would find common positions on the Cyprus problem.

MP Vassiliou, (former Cyprus President) said what is important for his party is to find common positions on all issues, including the Cyprus problem.

New Horizons leader, Nicos Koutsou said every effort would be made to find a common denominator on the Cyprus problem, which is the most important issue.

The representative of the Movement to Restructure the Centre, Kypros Chrysostomides, said that "with good will... we can find a common basis so that on all aspects there can be a joint position in the new Movement, to the benefit of the island in the future".

The representative of the Movement for Political Renewal, Costis Kyriakides, said "we are certain that there can be a complete consent, within the general framework of the Cyprus problem".

CNA AA/EC/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1215:CYPPRESS:02

[02] House President - British MPs

Speaking on behalf of a multi-party delegation of the British branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, he said he shared the view expressed by British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook that "Cyprus' accession to the EU is not conditional on a solution of the Cyprus problem."

"We will be making that point very strongly to Robin Cook," he told journalists after a meeting with House President Spyros Kyprianou.

Maxton said discussion focused on the Cyprus problem and Cyprus' accession course.

"We had a very constructive meeting in which various issues have been raised and we will be taking those back, particularly the problem of the division of Cyprus," the MP said.

Maxton said he would outline the views he has heard here to his government and expressed the hope that London would make "even stronger efforts to find solutions" to these problems.

"I think they already do play a very constructive role in terms of trying to find solutions," he noted.

On his part, Kyprianou said the delegation was very interested in Cyprus and asked many "questions of substance" about the Cyprus issue and the EU course.

"The fundamental and most important view Cook has expressed was reiterated here today during our meeting," he said.

Cyprus' accession, he noted, could act as a catalyst in the peace effort in that it would offer Cyprus more capability through help from other countries to achieve a just and viable solution.

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

The parliamentary delegation is made up of MPs John Maxton, Ian Bruce, Jeffrey Donaldson, John Horam and David Lepper.

CNA MM/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1440:CYPPRESS:03

[03] Cypriot students - March

Chanting "Americans - Murderers of peoples" and holding banners with slogans "Polytechnic - Cyprus - Never again fascism", the students marched from Eleftheria (Freedom) Square, in downtown Nicosia, to the US Embassy amid tight security measures and barbed wire put up by the Cyprus Police to avoid any clashes.

In a speech, the President of the Pancyprian Federation of Students' Organisations, Loizos Constantinou, said "the youth of Cyprus bows before the heroes of the Polytechnic who opened the road to resistance against junta and fascism".

He pledged that the students would not stop fighting as long as Cyprus' northern third remains occupied by Turkey.

The President of the Pancyprian Coordinating Committee of Pupils, Nicos Violaris, said that "twenty-five years after... we see how important the students' uprising in Greece was".

"We have a duty to guard our rights and united to struggle", Violaris added.

Speaking on behalf of the Greek students, who participated in the 1973 uprising in Athens, Makis Palaouras said that the tanks which the students confronted were the same tanks which have divided Cyprus."

He said the young people of Greece and Cyprus "want to live in peace, harmony, have their education and freedom" while the young people in the Turkish-occupied north of Cyprus are under the oppression of occupation leader, Rauf Denktash and Turkey.

The students approved a petition which they handed to a US Embassy representative.

The petition notes that the "students and pupils of Cyprus, guided by the shining example of the Polytechnic, will fight for the return of refugees, the ascertainment of the fate of the missing, the restoration of human rights and fundamental freedoms."

It calls on the international community to exert influence on the Italian government to grant Kurdish leader, Abdullah Ocalan, political asylum.

Kurds, who are temporary residing in Cyprus, also participated in the march.

The November 1973 uprising of students at the Athens Polytechnic marked the beginning of the fall of the Greek junta.

Eight months later the Greek military organised a coup in Cyprus, to overturn the then President, Archbishop Makarios, which five days later (July 20, 1974) led to the Turkish invasion and occupation of 37 per cent of the island's territory.

Democracy was restored in Greece, on July 24, 1974, four days after the Turkish invasion of Cyprus.

CNA EC/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1445:CYPPRESS:04

[04] Cyprus Stock Exchange

      CSE General Index                          89.56 (-0.39)

      Traded Value            CYP 1,286,441

      Sectural Indices

      Banks                   CYP   274,141     103.13 ( 0.00)
      Approved Investment
      Companies               CYP    25,726      59.50 (-1.06)
      Insurance Companies     CYP   318,682      67.46 (-1.76)
      Manufacturing Companies CYP    67,754      88.30 (-0.45)
      Tourism Companies       CYP   240,063      68.37 (-0.84)
      Trading Companies       CYP    93,100      42.18 (-0.52)
      Other Companies         CYP    53,683      83.23 (-1.26)

CNA MA/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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