Cyprus News Agency: News in English (AM), 99-06-26

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

CONTENTS

[01] Cyprus Airways pilots - Decisions

[02] UN Security Council - Cyprus - Resolutions

[03] Cyprus Airways press spokesman - Pilots

[04] Cyprus - EU - Negotiators

0945:CYPPRESS:01

[01] Cyprus Airways pilots - Decisions

The decision was taken late last night at a Pancyprian Airline Pilots Union (PALPU) meeting, union spokesman George Charalambous told CNA today.

He said the decision was taken to give Minister of Communication and Works and Finance Minister, Leondios Ierodiaconou and Takis Clerides respectively, time to undertake their initiative.

The pilots staged a 48-hour strike on Thursday and Friday and a 24- hour strike on Tuesday to protest against Cyprus Airways who they say has reneged on an agreement about procedures to fill in vacancies for captains in its subsidiary charter company Eurocypria.

Despite the strike measures Cyprus Airways had implemented an emergency plan and managed to transfer all passengers to their destinations.

The government had reacted strongly, liberalising air transport during the 48-hour strike.

"We will enter into the dialogue with good faith and expect the company to show the same good faith," Charalambous said.

He said the time limit given to the company is not indefinite and did not rule out the possibility of a meeting between the Union and the two ministers later today.

CNA MA/GG/1999

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1240:CYPPRESS:02

[02] UN Security Council - Cyprus - Resolutions

The Security Council is expected to reiterate that a settlement on the island must provide for a bizonal, bicommunal federation.

The Security Council is expected to adopt by Tuesday two resolutions, one on Secretary-General Kofi Annan's good offices mission and one on the extension for a further six-month period of the mandate of the UN Peace- Keeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).

Sources here told CNA that, the Security Council is expected to request the Secretary-General to invite the leaders of the two sides in Cyprus to negotiations in the autumn of 1999.

According to the ten-paragraph draft resolution on the UN chief's good offices mission, the Security Council calls on the two leaders to give their full support to a comprehensive negotiation, committing themselves to the four principles for Cyprus set out recently by the G8 leaders meeting in Cologne, namely: No preconditions, all issues on the table, commitment in good faith to continue to negotiate until a settlement is reached and full consideration of relevant UN resolutions and treaties.

In the 15-paragraph draft resolution on UNFICYP, the Security Council reaffirms its position that a Cyprus settlement must be based on a state of Cyprus with a single sovereignty, international personality and citizenship, with its independence and territorial integrity safeguarded and comprising two political equal communities in a bicommunal, bizonal federation.

According to CNA sources the "big five" are expected to reiterate their grave concern at the continuing excessive levels of military forces and armaments in the Republic of Cyprus and at the lack of progress towards any significant reduction in the number of foreign troops in the Republic of Cyprus.

According to the draft resolution, the 15-member Council calls upon all concerned to reduce the level of all troops and armaments in the Republic of Cyprus as a first step towards the withdrawal of non-Cypriot forces.

It stresses the importance of eventual demilitarisation of the Republic of Cyprus as an objective in the context of an overall comprehensive settlement.

The Council notes that the government of Cyprus has agreed that is necessary to keep the UN Force beyond 30 June 1999 and decides to extend its mandate for a further six-month period ending 15 December 1999.

The Cyprus government refrained from commenting on the Secretary- General's report issued earlier this week, but in the past it said it would be willing to participate in talks.

The Turkish Cypriot side has rejected both the report and the G8 statement reiterating its preconditions for talks aimed at establishing "a confederation of two states".

The Turkish demand, which has stalled the peace process, was rejected by the UN, the Cyprus government and all key players in the effort to reunite Cyprus, divided since Turkish troops invaded the island in 1974.

CNA MG/MA/GP/1999

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1310:CYPPRESS:03

[03] Cyprus Airways press spokesman - Pilots

Speaking to CNA today Angeli said "differences cannot be settled through strike measures but with good will shown during a dialogue".

He said the company and all employee unions should "search for a solution acceptable to all".

Last night the Pancyprian Airline Pilots Union decided not to escalate its strike measures and enter into a dialogue with the company to settle differences over the procedures to fill in vacancies for captains in Cyprus Airways' subsidiary charter company Eurocypria.

The pilots had staged a 48-hour strike on Thursday and Friday and a 24- hour strike on Tuesday.

Ministers of Communication and Works and Finance, Leondios Ierodiaconou and Takis Clerides respectively, are expected to take up an initiative to settle differences.

CNA MA/AA/1999

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

1335:CYPPRESS:04

[04] Cyprus - EU - Negotiators

He was speaking at a joint press conference with Cyprus' chief negotiator George Vassiliou on the results of a visit here by a 13-member European Commission delegation which arrived for meetings on Wednesday.

Maurer said the purpose of the visit was to prepare the next round of negotiations.

He described the next chapters to be discussed, namely the free movement of capital, goods and services, social policy, transports, the environment, taxation and energy as "very difficult".

"By the end of the year the total of the chapters will have been examined and the substance for the negotiations will be on the table," he noted.

Maurer described the interest rate ceiling which is in effect in Cyprus as an "anachronistic" measure which has to be abolished as "it will hamper the whole liberalisation process in the chapter of free movement of capital".

Referring to taxation, he said Cyprus must "have a smooth adaptation to the acquis communautaire".

Maurer praised the Cyprus negotiating team for the introduction of a sophisticated computerised data system which enables the authorities to monitor the adaptation process and assess the island's "implementation capacity", stressing the importance the EU places on monitoring each country's progress.

"We could hopefully finish the negotiations - if everything in the field of implementation goes well - during the year 2001", the EU official pointed out, adding, however, that "a lot of work has to be done" in Cyprus.

On his part, Vassiliou described the delegation visit as "very successful and useful" and pointed to "the seriousness with which Cyprus is addressing the issues related to the EU accession".

Referring to the House of Representatives role in the accession process, Vassiliou said it has "all the will in the world to cooperate".

Replying to questions, Maurer said the island's political problem "is always looming over the whole process and you never know if a member-state will raise points which could be in relation to that."

Cyprus, Estonia, Slovenia, Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic started substantive accession negotiations with the EU in November 1998.

CNA GG/MA/1999

ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

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