Cyprus News Agency: News in English (PM), 99-05-27

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

CONTENTS

[01] AKEL - Cyprus peace talks

[02] Green parties - Cyprus meeting

[03] Malaysia - New Cyprus High Commissioner - Credentials

[04] Neurology and Genetics Institute - Grant

[05] Cyprus - G8 - Initiative

[06] Foreign Minister - Dutch officials

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[01] AKEL - Cyprus peace talks

The main opposition party leader said it would be wrong if the organisation of the seven most industrialised countries plus Russia (G8) took the upper hand and if in their involvement they do not stand by UN resolutions.

"The Security Council must deal with the Cyprus issue and invite the two sides to negotiations based on UN resolutions," Christofias said.

The AKEL leader was commenting on press reports about a possible G8 involvement in efforts for a settlement here.

Referring to a statement the G8 are said to be consulting on with which they will back the Secretary General's bid for the resumption of the Cyprus peace talks, he warned that "consultations are going on so that there is no reference to UN resolutions."

While President Glafcos Clerides has said he is willing to participate in negotiations for a settlement, the Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash has put forward preconditions which have not allowed talks to take place since the summer of 1997.

Denktash demands the negotiations aim at setting up a "confederation of two states", contrary to UN resolutions stipulating for the establishment of a bizonal, bicommunal federation in Cyprus.

Cyprus has been divided since Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37 per cent of its territory in 1974.

CNA GG/MA/GP/1999

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1505:CYPPRESS:02

[02] Green parties - Cyprus meeting

The seminar, to take place at Kykkos Monastery on the Troodos range, will deal with "the Enlargement of the European Union towards the South" and with "the Position and Mobilisation of the Green Parties on Yugoslavia".

As announced at a press conference today the aim of the seminar is to adopt a position of Mediterranean Greens on the issue of accession to the EU of Cyprus, Malta and Turkey.

Arnold Cassola, member of the Committee of the European Federation of Green Parties, told the press conference there has been a tendency on the part of the EU to neglect the Mediterranean countries in favour of the Eastern European countries.

He expressed the view that as a result of the crisis in the Balkans, the Mediterranean should be given greater attention, because, as he remarked, "stability in the region depends a lot on what is happening in the Balkans".

"Although we speak about the Balkan crisis, Montenegro, Slovenia, Croatia and Albania, are fully Mediterranean countries," he added.

Cassola stressed that "getting Cyprus, Malta and Turkey closer to the EU would mean a step ahead in stabilising peace in south-eastern Mediterranean", even though he pointed out that Turkey should be persuaded to adjust as far as human rights' issues were concerned.

In regards to the crisis in Yugoslavia, Cossola said the majority of Green parties are for the unconditional stop to the NATO bombings of the country.

"The intention (behind the bombings) of bringing an immediate halt to the ethnic cleansing was good, but the results have shown that this has not been achieved and that the situation has become worse," he remarked.

Yiorgos Perdikis of the local Movement of Ecologists and Environmentalists pointed out that 27 out of 30 members of the European Federation of Green Parties are against NATO bombings of Yugoslavia.

"The only Green parties that have placed themselves against this position are those of Germany and France, which participate in the governments of these countries, and that of the Netherlands," he added.

CNA DC/MCH/GP/1999

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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[03] Malaysia - New Cyprus High Commissioner - Credentials

The King of Malaysia was speaking at a ceremony yesterday during which he accepted the credentials of Cyprus' new High Commissioner to his country Rea Yiordamlis.

He underlined the friendly relations between Cyprus and Malaysia and referred to the prospects for the development of bilateral relations, especially in the commercial and tourist fields.

Presenting her credentials, Yiordamlis referred to the important elements the two countries share, such as their strategical geopolitical position, their rich natural resources that made them attractive to their neighbours, their history and the fact that they were both colonies.

She also referred to the bonds between the two countries as member states of the Commonwealth and the Non Aligned Movement.

Yiordamli said that while Malaysia is a model of a multinational country where harmony prevails, in Cyprus the harmonic coexistence of the two communities was disturbed by the invasion of a neighbouring country, Turkey, that occupies 37% of its territory since 1974.

While in Kuala Lumpur, Yiordamli, who is based in India, will meet the Deputy Foreign Minister of the country and other members of the Cabinet.

CNA MK/MA/1999

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1630:CYPPRESS:04

[04] Neurology and Genetics Institute - Grant

The grant, worth 100,000 sterling (one pound sterling is about 87 Cyprus cents), will last for a period of three years.

A CING press release says that the research laboratory that has obtained the grant, headed by Dr. Leonidas Phylactou, is interested in the exploitation of some rare RNA molecules, called ribozymes, which have the potential to repair inherited problems.

Certain ribozymes can be designed and produced in the laboratory to repair malfunctions present in the human genetic material.

"The financial support by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign was preceded by the original discovery of the method by Dr Phylactou's research team at Oxford University which has proven that it is possible to use ribozymes to repair the genetic defect in myotonic dystrophy (DM)," the press release says.

It adds that DM is a common type of muscular dystrophy and the most common inherited neuromuscular disease in adults. This discovery was the first worldwide application of the method in inherited problems.

The recent decision by the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign to fund the research work in Dr. Phylactou's laboratory at the CING will enable the optimisation of the method in cultured cells from patients suffering from DM, the press release says.

The benefits from such a successful application will be important for many Cypriot patients but also for the economy of Cyprus.

Dr Phylactou's laboratory at the CING is the only laboratory in the world, outside the UK, to receive a competitive grant from the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign this year.

CNA MK/MA/1999

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1740:CYPPRESS:05

[05] Cyprus - G8 - Initiative

It also said that the organisation of the seven most developed states plus Russia (G8) was still discussing how it would back UN efforts for a settlement here.

The government positions were outlined by its Spokesman Costas Serezis, in response to statements made yesterday by House of Representatives President Spyros Kyprianou, that the G8 were working out a scenario for a confederation, a proposal put forward by the Turks.

"The information that the government has prove that the settlement sought is that of a federation," Serezis remarked.

Regarding the G8 involvement, the Cypriot official said after a cabinet meeting that according to information the Group was still discussing whether it would launch an initiative and when.

"We know that this initiative will be a statement of support to a decision by the UN Secretary-General to invite the two sides (Greek and Turkish Cypriot) to start negotiations," the spokesman said.

However, Serezis said consultations among the G8 members were continuing and differences had emerged regarding "the timing and the content of their initiative, as well as whether or not UN resolutions will be mentioned in their statement."

He said the government was closely monitoring developments and had already made its positions known.

The spokesman said "the government believes that since the G8 initiative will be supportive of the UN Secretary-General's proposal for the resumption of the dialogue, it must be based on UN resolutions."

Yesterday, US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said after a meeting with her Greek counterpart George Papandreou, in Washington, that the Cyprus problem would be discussed at the G8 meeting scheduled for next month in Cologne.

Cyprus has been divided since Turkish troops invaded and occupied 37 per cent of its territory in 1974.

CNA FZ/MA/GP/1999

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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[06] Foreign Minister - Dutch officials

The Foreign Minister discussed the same issues with Defence Minister Frank de Grave, with whom he also discussed Holland's participation in the UN peace-keeping force in Cyprus.

Kasoulides left Cyprus yesterday for a two-day visit to the Hague on an invitation from his Dutch counterpart.

During his stay in the Hague the Cypriot minister also discussed Cyprus' bid to join the European Union with members of the Dutch parliament European Affairs Committee.

Cyprus opened accession talks with the EU in November last year. Kasoulides also gave a lecture at the Clingendael Institute of Foreign Policy, on Cyprus' EU course, in the presence of political officials, foreign diplomats, academics, business persons and journalists.

The minister was scheduled to fly from the Hague to Denmark for meetings with his counterparts.

CNA MA/AA/1999

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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