Cyprus News Agency: News in English (PM), 99-05-10

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

CONTENTS

[01] Chinese Ambassador - Cyprus - Bombing - Belgrade

[02] Rolandis - Stability and Prosperity in Eastern Mediterranean

[03] EU - Parliamentarians - Final statement

[04] House President - China Embassy bombing

1910:CYPPRESS:01

[01] Chinese Ambassador - Cyprus - Bombing - Belgrade

"It is time to turn to a political solution to the Yugoslavian problem", the Chinese Ambassador said.

Speaking through an interpreter, after a meeting with the Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Foreign Ministry, Christodoulos Pasiardes, Zuojin stressed that NATO's "criminal actions" could not continue.

"Both our governments hold the same position on the Kosovo issue," the Chinese Ambassador said, pointing out that, "from the very beginning both countries called for a solution through the UN Security Council".

"NATO claims to protect human rights, while at the same time they are killing civilians," Yin Zuojin said and wondered whether "the international community can tolerate these things".

Asked whether China accepts the NATO explanation that the bombing of its Embassy was a mistake, he replied that "China reserves the right to take further steps on the issue".

The Chinese Ambassador expressed the belief that more people in the world will participate in demonstrations against NATO strikes in Yugoslavia.

A Foreign Ministry statement issued here, earlier today, said the government "unreservedly condemns the bombing of the Chinese Embassy in Belgrade" and it "expresses sympathy to the government and people of the Republic of China and to the families of the victims".

CNA RM/MCH/1999

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

2000:CYPPRESS:02

[02] Rolandis - Stability and Prosperity in Eastern Mediterranean

Rolandis was speaking at a seminar on "Stability and Prosperity in Eastern Mediterranean: The Prospects for Cooperation Between the European Union, Cyprus and the Middle East".

The seminar was organised by the Cyprus Institute for Mediterranean, European and International Studies, the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy and the Israel Palestine for research and Information.

"Cyprus is in a unique position to contribute to the efforts for cooperation to build stability and prosperity" in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East, Rolandis said.

He identified some of the economic problems facing the region, as the lack of economic interdependencies, its heavy dependence on a single economic resource, oil, and its limited appeal to foreign investors.

Being in the heart of the Mediterranean and aspiring to become a member of the EU, Cyprus cannot remain indifferent to the problems and ignore the opportunities for cooperation and development in the region, Rolandis remarked.

"Cyprus is itself a victim of aggression by a neighbouring country, Turkey, mainly a consequence of its geostrategic position" he said, adding that Cyprus's economy "depends on external demand, mainly tourism, a sector which is vulnerable to political developments in the region", while the major energy resource, oil, is imported.

Cyprus "has its stakes in the region and has a strong interest to be involved in its development and become itself part of any initiatives that promote peace, stability and prosperity in the area," he stressed.

Rolandis also noted that "Cyprus, as a member of the EU, will have the opportunity to cooperate with its Mediterranean partners in a number of fields" such as education and training, environment, industrial cooperation, telecommunication and energy, "for which provision is made in the respective Association Agreements", as he pointed out.

Referring to Cyprus' course of accession to the EU, he said it "presents an important window of opportunity for the region, which will mark a new era in the relations between Cyprus, EU and the Mediterranean partners".

The southward and eastward enlargement of the EU to include Cyprus "will unleash a dynamic process, which will give to Cyprus the opportunity to play a pivotal role in the promotion of economic interdependencies within the region itself and between the region and the EU," he concluded.

CNA FZ/MCH/1999

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

2030:CYPPRESS:03

[03] EU - Parliamentarians - Final statement

The position is outlined in the final statement of the second meeting of the chairmen of the committees on European Affairs of the Parliaments of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia and Cyprus who met today in Nicosia.

In the statement, the chairmen "noted the need to further the existing cooperation between the national parliaments of the applicant countries and especially their respective European committees."

The chairmen expressed their satisfaction "for the progress achieved thus far in the acquis screening and the accession negotiations" and said they expect that the accession process will "proceed smoothly independent of any outside influence or other considerations and be completed the soonest possible."

They also underlined that "the process of harmonisation is a tremendous task and a great economic burden undertaken by the applicant countries" and called on the EU to "include all applicant countries in the pre-accession strategy funding and all the relevant programmes."

The chairmen underlined that the enlargement of the EU to encompass their countries "will upgrade the international presence of the Union as a political factor, but also as the largest trading block in the world."

However, they expressed the hope that the EU "will proceed with the necessary institutional reforms, so as not to impede the enlargement process."

On the Kosovo crisis, the chairmen of the Parliamentary Committees on European affairs of the six candidate countries "expressed their respective views" on the issue and "agreed that the long term goal of EU efforts to solve the crisis should be the democratisation and the europeanisation of the entire region."

During their one day meeting, they discussed the recent developments in the EU and the current state of the accession process and relations between the national parliaments and the European parliaments.

Referring to the Kosovo crisis, the chairman of the Committee on Foreign and European Affairs of the House of Representatives of Cyprus, Tasos Papadopoulos, said the issue was not on the agenda but was unofficially raised during the meeting.

"There was an interest on what is going to happen in the future and what is the nature of the crisis," Papadopoulos added.

On his part, Tibor Sznayi, Deputy-chairman of the Committee on European Integration Affairs of the Hungarian Parliament, said the "lessons learnt already from the Yugoslav crisis may have an impact so that the enlargement (of the EU) will be somewhat accelerated because the security issues which were not high on the EU agenda, now are one of the priorities."

Tadeuz Mazowiecki, chairman of the Polish European Integration Committee said that when he was a rapporteur on human rights issues in Bosnia between 1992-1995, he had said that "Europe would not sleep well if there was a conflict in it simmering."

He said there cannot be a unified Europe if there are such problems. Speaking on behalf of the Czech Republic, Jaroslav Zverina, chairman of the Committee for European Integration, said it was a "great experience to see a divided island" like Cyprus, which is the result of military power used against people.

He underlined however that "we, as member states of NATO, are very loyal with NATO policy in Yugoslavia, even if it seems this policy is not too successful as we had hoped in the beginning."

The chairmen agreed to hold their third meeting in Warsaw, Poland, at a later date.

CNA EC/MCH/1999

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

2005:CYPPRESS:04

[04] House President - China Embassy bombing

In his message, Kyprianou describes the bombing as a "scandalous act, which not only caused the death of four people and the wounding of many other innocent persons", but also violates "the principles of the UN Charter" and international regulations".

He says that "there can be no justification of this tragic incident" and sends his condolences to the families of the innocent victims of "this unforgivable and irrational attack".

CNA RG/MCH/1999

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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