Cyprus News Agency: News in English (PM), 98-12-12

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

CONTENTS

[01] Clerides - Simitis

[02] Clerides - EU - Intervention

1940:CYPPRESS:01

[01] Clerides - Simitis

Vienna, Dec 12 (CNA) -- President Glafcos Clerides and Greek Premier Costas Simitis reviewed here today the outcome of the European Council meeting with regard to Cyprus, Cyprus Government Spokesman Christos Stylianides said here today.

He also said the two men, who met on the sidelines of the EU summit which ended today, discussed diplomatic attempts aiming at reducing tension.

Replying to questions, Stylianides said Cyprus is ready to participate "in a constructive and positive manner in any attempt to reduce tension and military forces."

A senior US official, Tomas Miller, State Department Coordinator, was in Cyprus on Friday for talks with UN resident representative Ann Hercus. He then went to Athens for talks with Greek Foreign Under-secretary Yiannos Kranidiotis and is now in Turkey for a meeting of Cypriot (Greek and Turkish Cypriots), Greek and Turkish businessmen.

Chairing the meeting will be US Presidential Emissary Richard Holbrooke, who is due in Athens on Monday for a meeting with Greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos.

Stylianides told the press after the Clerides - Simitis meeting the two men "briefed each other about various issues and assessed the Vienna conclusions as far as Cyprus' accession course is concerned."

The spokesman welcomed the Cyprus reference and described it as "very satisfactory", noting that there is no link between Cyprus' accession process and efforts to resolve the Cyprus question.

EU leaders noted "with satisfaction" that the accession conferences with Cyprus and other candidates have entered into "substantive negotiations and reached the first concrete results," which constitutes "an important stage in the negotiations."

The Council and the Commission are also asked to maintain the momentum in order to permit intensive negotiations in the first half of 1999.

"Cyprus is part of the group of six (candidate countries which started substantive talks) and is moving along on the basis of the criteria set out for the remaining countries," Stylianides said.

Present at the Cypriot - Greek summit in Vienna were Foreign Ministers Ioannis Kasoulides and Theodoros Pangalos of Cyprus and Greece respectively, Greek Alternate Foreign Minister George Papandreou and Stylianides.

President Clerides returns home Sunday.

CNA MCH/MM/AA/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

2005:CYPPRESS:02

[02] Clerides - EU - Intervention

Vienna, Dec 12 (CNA) -- President Glafcos Clerides has called on candidate countries for European Union accession to cooperate more on justice and home affairs matters to provide their citizens with a safer and more secure environment.

"If we are to convince our citizens of the value of the European integration and if we, politicians, sincerely wish to involve our peoples in the making of the Europe of the third millennium, we have to provide them with an environment in which they would feel safe and secure," Clerides told a working lunch between EU leaders and the leaders of candidate countries.

Such an environment, he pointed out, will be able to promote "the best of our citizen's capabilities and safeguard for them and their children a better quality of life."

The President said that "all candidate states can and should be directly involved (in the subject of Justice and Home Affairs) as from now, as if we were member states, because third pillar cooperation and interaction is a current necessity for us all."

He also noted with particular interest the adoption by the European Council of the Action Plan for creating an area of freedom, security and justice through the optimal use of the potential of the Amsterdam Treaty, once it enters into force.

Earlier today EU leaders welcomed with satisfaction the substantive negotiations the Union started with six candidate countries, including Cyprus, which they noted "reached the first concrete results."

This, they added, was "an important stage in the negotiations." Cyprus Government Spokesman Christos Stylianides welcomed the Vienna conclusions relating to Cyprus, describing them as "very satisfactory."

On the sidelines of the EU Council Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides and Stylianides had a series of meetings with officials of the rotating Austrian presidency, member states and representatives from other candidate countries.

CNA MCH/MM/1998

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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