Compact version |
|
Saturday, 21 December 2024 | ||
|
Cyprus News Agency: News in English (PM), 99-03-12Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Cyprus News Agency at <http://www.cyna.org.cy>CONTENTS
1455:CYPPRESS:01[01] Government - German envoy - RantzauNicosia, Mar 12 (CNA) -- The government has questioned the view, expressed by a senior German diplomat, that he has not detected any flexibility or readiness for compromise on either side of the divide.Germany's envoy for Cyprus and the European Union's presidency representative, Detlev Graf zu Rantzau, said yesterday at a press conference that he has not been able to "detect on either side a new flexibility or readiness to enter into compromise." However he pointed out that President Glafcos Clerides assured him that he is ready to negotiate with Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash on the basis of UN resolutions and with no preconditions whereas Denktash said he would only negotiate if his status is acknowledged. "The German envoy has rightly understood that Mr. Denktash is not prepared to talk on the basis of Security Council resolutions but sets out preconditions," a statement by the Foreign Ministry said here today. The statement also noted that Rantzau is right in thinking that President Clerides considers that talks are conducted on the basis of the resolutions of the UN Council. "The government of Cyprus does not understand how both sides are considered inflexible when Mr. Denktash rejects UN resolutions and sets out terms, while our side declares its readiness to negotiate on the basis of resolutions which the international community itself has adopted without preconditions," the statement added. Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37 per cent of the island's territory. IT applied for EU membership in 1990. CNA MM/EC/1999ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY1530:CYPPRESS:02[02] Cyprus Stock ExchangeNicosia, Mar 12 (CNA) -- The Cyprus Stock Exchange (CSE) All Share Index closed at today's stock exchange meeting as follows:CSE General Index 120.62 (-0.30) Traded Value CYP 9,672,456 Sectural Indices Banks CYP 4,957,600 151.15 (-0.28) Approved Investment Companies CYP 337,131 75.00 (-0.89) Insurance Companies CYP 132,891 77.38 (-0.72) Manufacturing Companies CYP 312,916 104.48 ( 0.71) Tourism Companies CYP 140,786 81.02 (-0.76) Trading Companies CYP 96,815 50.62 (-0.47) Other Companies CYP 112,479 87.39 (-0.93)The third column presents the percentage variation of the indices as compared to the last meeting. CNA EC/1999ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY1740:CYPPRESS:03[03] Britain - New High CommissionerNicosia, Mar 12 (CNA) -- Edward Clay, CMG, is the new High Commissioner of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to Cyprus, it was officially announced here today.Clay, who has served in Cyprus in the mid-1980s, will succeed David Madden who leaves at the end of the month for a posting in Athens. Clay will take up his new appointment in May. He is the second appointment from the FCO (Foreign and Commonwealth Office) to replace Madden. The first choice, John Martin, died in January this year. The new High Commissioner is currently Director of Public Services, FCO, a post he has held since March 1997. He has served in various countries, including Kenya, Bulgaria, Hungary, Uganda and Rwanda. Clay served at the Nicosia High Commission as Counsellor and Head of Chancery in 1985. He is married with three daughters. CNA MM/EC/1999ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY1755:CYPPRESS:04[04] Extradition - GermanyNicosia, Mar 12 (CNA) -- Cyprus is extraditing to Germany Hulinsky Richard, who is wanted in connection with the import into Germany of millions of cigarettes without paying any duty, amounting to more than 17 million pounds (one Cyprus pound is about two US dollars).Three German officers are on the island to take the 49 year old Czech- born Hulinsky back to Germany tomorrow. Hulinsky, who has Czech, German and US nationality, is wanted by the German and the Czech authorities, and was arrested in the southern coastal resort of Larnaca in September last year, following a request by Interpol. He is said to have imported 36 containers from Cyprus into Germany and the Czech Republic, between September 1995 and September 1996, with millions of cigarettes. According to available information, he did not declare the goods to pay the appropriate duty. The German authorities have thanked the Cyprus police and the local Interpol branch for their excellent cooperation. CNA MM/EC/1999ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY1815:CYPPRESS:05[05] Famagusta - Turkish threats - ProtestNicosia, Mar 12 (CNA) -- Cyprus has made representations to the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and the top UN envoy here as a precautionary move to avert Turkish designs to settle the occupied town of Famagusta, on the eastern coast.Yesterday Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash described Famagusta as a "Turkish Cypriot city", claimed he can do anything he wishes with the town which he described as "his property". "We can do whatever we like, any time we like and there is no need to bring up the issue for discussion as we only provoke a reaction from the other side," Denktash said. Permanent Secretary of the Foreign Ministry, Ambassador Alecos Shiambos, made precautionary demarches today to the ambassadors of the five members, residing in Cyprus, and UN Resident Representative Dame Ann Hercus. Similar representations are being lodged with the UN headquarters in New York and the capitals of the "big five." Famagusta Mayor Andreas Pougouros has already sent a protest letter to the UN Secretary General and the governments of European Union member states calling on them to "take immediate and drastic measures to help us defend ourselves against these new provocative and obvious threats." "These threats prove the real truth about Turkey, which occupies illegally for the past 25 years Cyprus' northern part, and about Denktash that they respect neither human rights nor the High level agreements or UN resolutions," the letter said. Denktash signed two agreements in 1977 and 1979, the latter of which stipulates that priority should be given to an agreement to resettle Famagusta under UN aegis. UN Security Council resolution 550 "considers any attempts to settle any part of Varosha by people other than its inhabitants as inadmissible and calls for the transfer of this area to the administration of the UN." CNA MM/EC/1999ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY1820:CYPPRESS:06[06] Foreign Minister - European tourNicosia, Mar 12 (CNA) -- Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides leaves Saturday on a week-long tour of three European countries for talks with his counterparts in Germany, Austria and Belgium.On March 15, Kasoulides will meet Joschka Fischer in Bonn. Three days later the minister will be in Vienna for talks with his Austrian counterpart Wolfgang Schussel and on Friday 19, he will see Belgian Foreign Minister Eric Derycke in Brussels. During his trip, Kasoulides will give lectures on Cyprus' accession course at the University of Bonn, at the Delegation of the European Commission in Vienna and will address the permanent council of the Organisation for Cooperation and Security in Europe in the Austrian capital. Kasoulides is scheduled to confer with chairmen and members of parliamentary foreign affairs committees in the three countries and meet the press. CNA MM/EC/1999ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY1900:CYPPRESS:07[07] Cyprus - Israel - Italy - TelecommunicationsNicosia, Mar 12 (CNA) -- The new LEV submarine cable system of optic fibres, linking Cyprus-Israel-Italy, was inaugurated Thursday in Israel.The Cyprus Telecommunications Authority (CYTA) participates in the LEV system through participation in the Israeli company MED-1 Submarine Cables Ltd, which has undertaken to construct, operate, maintain and promote the specific cable system. CYTA participates in the company with a 7,25 per cent of shares. The system was inaugurated by Israeli Minister of Communications Limor Livnat. CNA MM/EC/1999ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCYCyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |