Cyprus News Agency: News in English (AM), 98-11-26

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

CONTENTS

[01] Picasso exhibition - Cyprus

[02] UN British soldier - Accident

[03] Kasoulides - Omirou - Athens

[04] Seminar - Turkey - Domestic Situation - Foreign Policy

[05] Cyprus Stock Exchange

1010:CYPPRESS:01

[01] Picasso exhibition - Cyprus

Organised by the Municipal Arts Centre in collaboration with Pierides' Art Gallery, the French Cultural Centre in Cyprus, the Picasso Museum in Paris and the Museum of Modern Art at Saint Etienne, the exhibition displays the series of 156 which the artist produced from 1968 to 1972, during the last years of his life.

The eternal theme of love and death as well as the artist's anguish to express life's mystery run through the work of one of the most important artist of the 20th century, Municipal Arts Centre says in a press release.

"Picasso's engravings manifest the total spectrum of the artist's technical knowledge on his subject matter" while at the same time they keep alluding "to the work of other big artists such as Degas", it adds.

In parallel to the exhibition Pierides' Foundation presents nine rare editions from its collection of the artist's work which has become synonymous with modern art.

Exceptional art journals including the "Verve", the "Cahiers d' Art" and "Minotaure", edited by the Greek Stratis Eleutheriades (Teriade), are also exhibited.

The exhibition will last until January 28. On Wednesday, December 2, a lecture entitled "Picasso, the Matador of Painting" will be given at the Nicosia Municipal Arts Centre by Andri Michael, who has a doctorate in the History of Art from the Sorbonne, Paris.

Michael teaches History of Art at the University of Amiens and has published several articles on Picasso. In cooperation with Mari-Laure Bernandac, she published the book "Picasso, Comments on Art".

CNA DG/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1015:CYPPRESS:02

[02] UN British soldier - Accident

According to an UNFICYP press release, the soldier sustained serious head injuries and was operated on at Nicosia General Hospital.

An investigation concerning the accident is underway. The Ledra Palace Hotel is situated in the UN-controlled buffer zone in Nicosia.

The 1.200-strong UNFICYP patrols the 180-kilometre-long buffer zone across the island created after the 1974 Turkish invasion and occupation of 37 per cent of Cyprus territory.

CNA RM/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1100:CYPPRESS:03

[03] Kasoulides - Omirou - Athens

However, he did not exclude any talk on the proposed deployment of anti-aircraft missiles Cyprus has ordered from Russia.

The Minister also said the political instability in Turkey does not facilitate the peace effort in Cyprus, noting that there are "more powerful centres of authority" in the country (Turkey).

"The President is not going to Athens to discuss the issue of the missiles. He goes to discuss all the parametres of the Cyprus problem and if the missiles are part of these parametres, he will discuss that as well, " Kasoulides said on his way to the Greek capital.

Kasoulides said his personal assessment is that one should not expect to see "either black or white smoke" at the end of the meeting about any of the aspects of the Cyprus question.

"This is a regular, routine meeting to exchange views and assessments about all the parametres of the problem," he said.

Commenting on the political instability in Turkey, the Cypriot Minister said "the absence of a government in Turkey makes things difficult in the Cyprus peace effort."

"I do not think Turkey will ever have a strong and stable government, even after the elections. Governments in Turkey do not count as much as they do in other democratic countries," he added.

There are, he remarked, other "more powerful centres of authority in Ankara."

Meanwhile, Cyprus Defence Minister Yiannakis Omirou, who is also flying to Athens, refrained from commenting on reports that the Israeli Defence Minister intends to propose to Greece military cooperation along the same lines as the accord his country has with Turkey in next month's visit to Athens.

"We shall wait the formal proposal of the Israeli Minister to Athens. This is something we are interested in and we shall follow it," he said.

Kasoulides and Omirou will attend tomorrow's Simitis - Clerides meeting. Cyprus Government Spokesman Christos Stylianides and Undersecretary to the President Pantelis Kouros will also participate.

Simitis will be accompanied by Foreign and National Defence Ministers, Theothoros Pangalos and Akis Tsohatzopoulos, as well as other Greek officials.

The last such meeting took place in late August.

CNA MAN/MM/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1300:CYPPRESS:04

[04] Seminar - Turkey - Domestic Situation - Foreign Policy

Shambos was addressing a one-day seminar on the "Turkish Domestic Situation and Repercussions on Foreign Policy", held only one day after the collapse of the coalition government of Turkish Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz.

"Political instability in Turkey, weak coalition governments and the overriding supremacy of the military" is one of the major hurdles hindering attempts to negotiate a settlement in Cyprus, Shambos said.

He appeared doubtful whether any Turkish government would emerge with sufficient authoritative status and internal support to enable it to show the political will to act, cooperate and negotiate meaningfully for a peaceful resolution of the Cyprus problem.

"Internal Turkish politics were consciously and repeatedly directed towards external policy activities and actions detrimental to Turkey's neighbouring countries," Shambos said.

He called for "informed analysis" in respect of Turkey and the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean and added "proper assessment of the situation in Turkey is also needed, especially because of Turkey's declared objective to prevent the accession of Cyprus to the European Union."

The Foreign Ministry Permanent Secretary pointed out that Turkey not only continues to occupy 37 per cent of Cyprus' territory since 1974, but is threatening the country with new aggressive military action.

He reiterated that the government wishes for a negotiated settlement based on UN resolutions and two agreements reached between the Greek and Turkish sides, which stipulate for the establishment of a bizonal, bicommunal federation on the island.

Introducing the speakers, the Director of the Research and Development Centre of "Intercollege", a private college in Nicosia, Andreas Theophanous, referred to the double standards of Turkish policy.

"One of the pillars of Turkish foreign policy," he said, "is to act as the 'protector' of Turkish minorities outside the country and while this policy is pursued in a consistent manner, minorities within Turkey are not even acknowledged."

He underlined that Ankara demands excessive rights and privileges for the Turkish Cypriots, that today do not even comprise 18 per cent of Cyprus' population, while at the same time it does not even recongise the Kurds as a minority living in Turkey.

Turkish Cypriots were 120 thousand, representing 18 per cent of the population of Cyprus, when Turkey invaded the island in 1974, using their "protection" from Greek Cypriots as a pretext.

An estimated 60 thousand Turkish Cypriots have been forced to leave Cyprus due to the bad political and economic situation in the Turkish- occupied areas.

At the same time, more than 80 thousand settlers have been brought in from Turkey, in a bid to change the island's demography, while some 35 thousand Turkish soldiers have remained here since the Turkish invasion.

The seminar was organised by "Intercollege", the Turkish Studies Department of the Cyprus University and the Centre for the study of the Cyprus problem at the Foreign Ministry.

CNA MA/GP/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1430:CYPPRESS:05

[05] Cyprus Stock Exchange

      CSE General Index                          89.73 ( 0.73)

      Traded Value            CYP 1,417,337

      Sectural Indices

      Banks                   CYP   461,557     103.56 ( 0.93)
      Approved Investment
      Companies               CYP    92,189      59.56 ( 0.68)
      Insurance Companies     CYP   264,794      66.01 (-0.63)
      Manufacturing Companies CYP   104,302      88.76 ( 0.40)
      Tourism Companies       CYP   151,504      68.60 ( 1.39)
      Trading Companies       CYP   112,809      42.50 ( 1.17)
      Other Companies         CYP    78,891      84.16 ( 0.66)

CNA MCH/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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