Cyprus News Agency: News in English (AM), 99-03-12

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

CONTENTS

[01] House of Commons Committee - Cyprus - EU - Report

[02] S-300 - Crete - Deployment

[03] All Trade Union Forum

1035:CYPPRESS:01

[01] House of Commons Committee - Cyprus - EU - Report

It also suggests that Turkey could act as an "effective persuader" in efforts for a Cyprus settlement and makes note of "grave though not insuperable" difficulties to the process, springing from the lack of access to the Turkish-occupied areas of the island to examine the situation in regards to the acquis communautaire.

This is included in a 40-page report on countries applying for EU membership presented at a press conference yesterday by the Chairman of the Committee, Donald Anderson.

In the section entitled "Cyprus and Turkey" it is noted that the "Republic of Cyprus enthusiastically supports the accession process not only as a means to secure membership of the EU but also as a means to hasten a political settlement".

Note is also made of the refusal of the illegal regime in the Turkish- occupied northern areas of the Republic to participate in any accession negotiations, adding that:

"Our meetings with representatives of the Turkish community gave us no reason to conclude that its attitude to the accession process was likely to alter."

As a result the Commission foresees "grave though not insuperable difficulties," chief among which, is the issue of detailed negotiations on various vital aspects of the acquis.

"The writ of the government of the Republic of Cyprus extends as far as the UN-patrolled 'green line' which divides the island," the report says, and adds that as a result it "cannot report with any authority on the de facto state of the law north of that line".

If no settlement is reached to the political problem before Cyprus' accession to the EU "the Union would in effect be asked to accept a disputed external frontier patrolled by UN troops."

Noting that "the government of Turkey could act as an effective persuader in the search for a settlement to the problem of Cyprus," the Committee, points out, however, that "the recent history of Turkey's involvement with the EU and with the accession process has not been a happy one".

The report concludes, however, calling upon the British government to make clear "that Turkey does not have a veto over the accession of Cyprus, and Cyprus, even in its present divided state, may therefore be admitted to the EU on the same basis as all other applicants."

Asked to clarify a reference made in the report to the so-called "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus", to denote the break-away entity unilaterally declared in the Turkish-occupied areas and recognised by no other state but Turkey, Anderson stressed this was not an attempt to recognise the occupation regime.

"The only internationally recognised government in Cyprus is that of the Republic of Cyprus and nothing in the report could be distorted as an attempt for recognition of any other government," he said.

Turkish troops have been occupying 37 per cent of Cyprus territory since 1974, in violation of repeated UN resolutions calling for their withdrawal.

CNA KT/MCH/GP/1999

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1120:CYPPRESS:02

[02] S-300 - Crete - Deployment

Sergei Gulagov, Deputy Director of Rozvoruzienye, the manufacturing company, said that all legal and technical matters of the deal to deploy the missiles on the Greek island of Crete, instead of Cyprus, have been settled.

He said that the only remaining aspect is the completion of Greek preparatory works, to enable Crete to accept the missiles.

According to Gulagov, the missile system is expected to arrive in Crete some time in mid-1999.

Meanwhile, sources told Russian news agency Novosti that the missiles would be deployed in Crete on a temporary basis.

Cyprus decided not to deploy the missiles on its own territory, complying fully with international calls to reduce tension in the area and avoid any actions which may not be conducive to solve the Cyprus problem.

The same sources said that by the end of July 1999, Moscow will be ready to deploy six batteries of "TOR M1" short-range missiles in Greece, and that by the end of the year 2000, Greece is scheduled to receive another 15 such missiles.

CNA CG/RG/MCH/1999

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1345:CYPPRESS:03

[03] All Trade Union Forum

The Standing Coordinating Committee of the All Trade Union Forum, comprising the main trade unions of both communities met today to discuss the details of the Forum.

The meeting was attended by representatives of the six main Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot trade unions (SEK, PEO, PASIDI, TURK-SEN, DEV- IS and KTAMS).

SEK Deputy Secretary-General, Demetris Kittenis, told reporters after today's meeting that officials and representatives of European and international trade unions will be invited to attend the Forum.

Specifically, the Forum will invite representatives of the European Trade Union Confederation, the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, and the World Trade Organisation, ambassadors of the permanent members of the UN Security Council, the UN resident representative Dame Ann Hercus, the European Union head of mission, and all Cypriot political parties.

Kittenis also said that 200 officials from 16 trade unions that took part in the two previous Fora will participate in May's Forum, which will discuss earlier decisions, the report of the special committee set up after the second Forum to deal with social security issues, and the role of the trade union movement in building confidence between the two communities.

The SEK official also said that the Coordinating Committee will convene regularly to organise the Forum, adding that the next meeting will take place on April 2.

TURK-SEN representative, Nihad Elmaz, expressed hope that meetings with the Greek Cypriot trade unionists will continue.

CNA AA/RG/MCH/1999

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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