Cyprus News Agency: News in English (PM), 99-06-04

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

CONTENTS

[01] House President - Council of Europe candidate

[02] President - China visit - Departure

[03] EU Summit - Conclusions

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[01] House President - Council of Europe candidate

"The solution of the Cyprus problem will be a priority for Europe," the Austrian deputy said, after a meeting here with House President Spyros Kyprianou.

He said the Council is continuing the dialogue with Turkey to convince her that "it is her responsibility to respond to positive plans for a solution in the line of the (UN) Security Council resolutions and in the line of many resolutions of the Parliamentary Assembly of the CoE which means bicommunal, bizonal federation."

He said the Council has sent a clear message to Turkey that it cannot "accept a dividing line and a wall, like the Berlin wall, in the capital of the Republic of Cyprus."

He described his discussions as a "very interesting exchange of views" on international issues as well as Cyprus and said democracy and the rule of law must be implemented in every country in the Balkans.

The main task of the Council will be to assist in the post war era in Yugoslavia, he added.

Schwimmer is in Cyprus as part of his tour of European capitals ahead of elections at the Council.

In his remarks, Kyprianou reiterated the view that the Cyprus issue cannot go on for ever unresolved, nor can the current status quo be continued.

"It has to be settled at some stage in an effective manner on the basis of international law, the UN Charter and UN resolutions," he said.

Kyprianou said the Council of Europe can play a very important role in efforts to solve the Cyprus problem.

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

CNA MM/GP/1999

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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[02] President - China visit - Departure

The President also said the G8 group (seven most industrialised countries plus Russia) is likely to issue a statement on Cyprus and subsequently the UN Secretary-General will probably call the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot sides to talks, probably in September.

"The points which President Milosevic has accepted are identical to what we have said at the beginning," the President said on his departure for an official visit to China.

He said the return of the refugees under conditions of security, the peaceful resolution of the problem, the fact that Kosovo will remain within the Yugoslav Federation with self-administration and the establishment of an international force with a UN Security Council mandate are the agreed terms.

The President pointed out that the return of the refugees under conditions of safety is also a demand of the government, for the refugees in Cyprus, displaced since the 1974 Turkish invasion.

"This strengthens our position and does not bother us," he said, noting also that the peaceful resolution of the Yugoslav crisis corresponds to the government position for a negotiated settlement in Cyprus through peaceful means.

As far as the issue of self-administration is concerned, Clerides explained that the acceptance of a bizonal, bicommunal federation in Cyprus signifies that the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities will enjoy this right.

He said "the stationing of an international force has always been one of our fundamental demands, a force with a UN Security Council mandate."

"Consequently, I do not see how this development can have any negative repercussions on the Cyprus question," the President said.

All this will be taken before the Security Council, he added. Commenting on developments in efforts to press on with a solution in Cyprus, he said he expected the G8 to issue a statement calling on the two sides to return to the negotiating table.

At the end of June, he added, the UN chief may very well call on both sides to resume talks, through the text of his report on his good offices mission.

"When we talk about an international force, we mean a force whose composition and mandate will be decided by the UN Security Council," he pointed out.

He explained that "we have been told the G8 will speak out first and then the UN chief will probably call for talks, expected to begin in September."

He said during his meetings in China, he will brief the Chinese government on developments in the Cyprus question and exchange views on the problem and international issues of mutual interest, bearing in mind that China is a permanent member of the UN Security Council.

CNA MM/MCH/1999

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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[03] EU Summit - Conclusions

Cologne, Jun 4 (CNA) -- The European Council welcomed in its conclusions of the Cologne Summit the positive results of the second round of substantive negotiations in the first half of 1999 with Cyprus.

The EU leaders note "with satisfaction that the accession negotiations have further gathered momentum and are on the right track".

The Council "welcomes the positive results of the second round of substantive negotiations in the first half of 1999 with Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia on a number of important and complex areas".

The European Council pledges "to continue to maintain the momentum of negotiations", adding that "to that end, the European Union will open negotiations in all areas covered as early as possible next year".

Two paragraphs welcoming the "Turkish government's desire to step up its efforts for democratic and social reforms" and that in Helsinki the European Council "will endevour to bring Turkey into the enlargement process" included in the draft conclusions were deleted from the final document following objections by certain EU member-states.

Cyprus together with the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia started substantive membership talks with the EU in November 1998. Cyprus applied for full membership in July 1990.

CNA CI/RG/MCH/GP/1999

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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