Cyprus News Agency: News in English (PM), 98-11-18

Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

CONTENTS

[01] Spokesman - UN process

[02] South African deputies - Visit

[03] Reza - The Photographer of Suffering Children

[04] Alabama Senator - Cyprus visit

[05] Kasoulides - Algiers - Meetings

[06] Sweden - Cyprus - EU

1700:CYPPRESS:01

[01] Spokesman - UN process

Government Spokesman Christos Stylianides said today the government supports and participates constructively in a process which UN Deputy Special Representative, Dame Ann Hercus, has undertaken.

Stylianides' statement comes a few days after similar remarks by President Glafcos Clerides on Sunday that Hercus' shuttle talks between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot sides cannot continue indefinitely.

The President, however, stressed the Greek Cypriot side will continue the search for a settlement, through the UN Secretary-General's mission of good offices.

Hercus has been talking to the leaders of the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities since mid-October in a bid to get them back to the negotiating table. Discussions are shrouded with secrecy and no details have emerged as to their content.

"No procedure on any issue can continue indefinitely", Stylianides said, adding that the government has shown its willingness in the procedure undertaken by Hercus.

"We participate in the shuttle talks in good faith to achieve a positive outcome", Stylianides said.

Asked if the government is examining the possibility of requesting the UN and the US to suspend the process at some stage and implement UN decisions on Cyprus, Stylianides said this is a matter for the National Council to decide, the top advisory body to the President on the handling of the Cyprus problem.

"Such decision lies solely with the National Council", he said, adding that it will "evaluate the situation and the conditions at a given time and then take the necessary decision."

UN led efforts to reunite Cyprus, divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37 per cent of the island's territory, have so far yielded no results, due to the intransigent positions adopted by the Turkish side.

CNA MA/EC/MM/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1700:CYPPRESS:02

[02] South African deputies - Visit

During its stay, the delegation will be received by President of the House, Spyros Kyprianou.

The South African deputies will meet the leaders or representatives of House parties and the President and members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

The visiting deputies will also meet Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides and Defence Minister, Yiannakis Omirou and will visit the ceasefire line in the capital Nicosia and in Dherynia, which borders the Turkish occupied eastern town of Famagusta.

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

CNA EC/MM/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1730:CYPPRESS:03

[03] Reza - The Photographer of Suffering Children

Nicosia, Nov 18 (CNA) -- It is a picture of a little girl wrapped up in a woolen coat, standing next to a wooden box with her toys laid before her. She is neither playing, nor smiling. Her eyes are wet and puzzled. It is Christmas and she is selling her toys to buy bread.

The country is Yugoslavia, but it could be any country in Africa, Latin America or Asia. The girl is blonde with blue eyes, but she could be dark with black or brown dark eyes.

The picture is one of many exhibited recently in Cyprus, on the occasion of a seminar on children's rights and wrongs.

The photographer is internationally acclaimed Iranian photojournalist Reza, who has captured in his pictures human suffering in a world, which on the eve of the 21st century has not yet succeeded in overcoming the hardships and the misery of war and famine.

On November 20, 1959, the UN committed its member states to one more human rights' declaration, which had a similar fate with that of so many others: It was signed by some and respected by few.

The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child celebrates this year its 28th birthday. Still many children are killed daily or die of hunger and ill-treatment by the same hands that signed the declaration defending their rights.

Reza has worked as correspondent for "Newsweek", "Time" and "National Geographic", and his pictures have also been published in "Stern", "New York Times", "Le Monde", "The Observer" and "El Pais".

He has worked for UNICEF, UNESCO, Amnesty International and Medicins Sans Frontieres and has a first hand experience of the injustice committed on a daily basis against the weak and especially children.

As he told CNA in an interview, in 1999 his work will highlight the grave issue of child-labour which he described as "an open wound" in Asian, African and Latin American countries.

"These children work under circumstances that do not conform to the UN Convention on the Rights of Children, for well known industries, highly esteemed in the western world," Reza said, stressing that "in the global village we live in everything is related".

Third world governments cannot be blamed for indifference towards child labour, when it is the so-called "developed" countries that encourage and sustain it, Reza remarked.

"We have to deal with the problem at its root, and there we would find multinationals," he points out, and remarks: "We often buy well-known brands without realising that they are products of hard child labour".

Speaking to CNA about his active involvement in international organisations, the Iranian photojournalist does not hesitate to criticise even them in their ways of dealing with many third world problems.

"Hunger is not tackled effectively by supplying food aid in times of crisis but by taking political measures," he remarks, pointing out that at times the western world continues to act with a "colonial mentality".

Having first hand experience of the situation in the Middle East and Asia, Reza explains that politics and economic interests of the "powerful" lay behind problems which people tend to face as humanitarian issues.

"The famine in Ethiopia is not a humanitarian issue but a political one," Reza explains. "The governments of UN member-states could have solved the problem by ending the war in the country. Instead they sent food".

"The western powers today are descendants of the colonial powers of the past which were based on the philosophy of 'divide and rule'. So we cannot expect them to bring about change," he adds, stressing that what they serve is their own political interests.

Reza does not hesitate to express criticism even towards the UN, pointing out that even the international organisation follows "the politics of its member-states and in a way the politics of the West".

The Iranian photojournalist also referred to the role of the Mass Media in their choice of events to make headlines, pointing out that they are controlled by politicians, governments and multinationals, all of whom aim at serving their own economic interests.

"It is no coincidence that the big and powerful show greater sensitivity in violations of human rights and democratic principles in certain countries, like Kuwait, but are less interested or even ignore other countries, such as Yugoslavia or Afghanistan," he added.

Reza takes pictures of children from all parts of the world. The colour of their eyes changes but the look is the same and on November 20 they all "celebrate" the promise for a better future.

CNA MCH/MM/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

2015:CYPPRESS:04

[04] Alabama Senator - Cyprus visit

He will be received tomorrow by President Glafcos Clerides. According to a press release of the US Embassy in Nicosia, Shelby's trip to Cyprus is part of an overall visit to the region.

Shelby is a member of the Appropriations, Banking, Housing, Urban Affairs and Intelligence Senate Committees and member of the Special Committee on Aging.

He has also served in the House of Representatives from 1979-1986.

CNA EC/MM/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

2050:CYPPRESS:05

[05] Kasoulides - Algiers - Meetings

Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides is in Algiers at the invitation of his Algerian counterpart Ahmed Attaf for a four day visit. Kasoulides held talks with Attaf yesterday, in the presence of ministerial officials from both countries.

The talks covered a wide range of issues, including bilateral relations, developments in Algeria and Cyprus, cooperation and Euro- mediterranean cooperation.

During the talks, it was ascertained that the common wish of the two governments is to develop bilateral relations, especially in the field of economy, an official statement said here Wednesday.

It further said both countries maintain stable friendly relations, especially in the field of political cooperation.

Kasoulides was received here Wednesday by Algerian President, Liamine Zeroual, Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia and other officials.

The Cypriot minister returns to Cyprus tomorrow.

CNA EC/MM/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

2110:CYPPRESS:06

[06] Sweden - Cyprus - EU

The position was reiterated today at a meeting between Cyprus' Ambassador to Sweden, Leonidas Pantelides and Swedish Foreign Affairs ministry officials where Sweden formally assured Cyprus that its position regarding Cyprus' accession remains unchanged.

The Swedish Foreign Minister was quoted as saying during a press conference on Monday in Stockholm that EU accession negotiations with Cyprus can continue but a solution must be found to the political problem before Cyprus joins the Union.

An official statement said here Wednesday that Sweden's Foreign Minister was informed about the press reports and expressed strong displeasure and surprise about the inaccurate way in which her views were reported and the wrong impressions they created.

Sweden wants a solution to the Cyprus problem based on the UN decisions as soon as possible and hopes that the accession course will act as a catalyst in solving the political problem. It also wants to see participation of the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities in the accession negotiations, the official statement concluded.

The Turkish Cypriot community rejected a proposal by the Greek Cypriot side to join the Cypriot negotiating team.

CNA EC/MM/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article