Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 02-01-08

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

CONTENTS

[01] Central Bank to lift exchange restrictions

[02] Greek Defence Minister to visit Cyprus

[03] Cyprus Stock Exchange

[04] Weather and Temperatures for Cyprus

[05] Clerides-Denktash to meet away from media

[06] Cyprus certain Simitis will promote Cyprus question in US

[07] Cyprus says it will join EU as a whole

[08] Cypriot trade unions demand freedom of movement

[09] Cyprus eligible to join EU, say prominent personalities

[01] Central Bank to lift exchange restrictions

1210:CYPPRESS:01

Central Bank to lift exchange restrictions

Nicosia, Jan 8 (CNA) -- The Central Bank of Cyprus will lift exchange restrictions as part of its harmonisation process with the European Union, its Governor Afxentis Afxentiou has said, adding that already the Bank has decided to allow Cypriots to invest at least up to 20,000 Cyprus pounds abroad annually and spend 200,000 pounds for the purchase of a house, instead of the previous ceiling of 100,000 pounds.

[02] Greek Defence Minister to visit Cyprus

1250:CYPPRESS:02

Greek Defence Minister to visit Cyprus

Nicosia, Jan 8 (CNA) -- Greece's National Defence Minister Yiannos Papantoniou will pay a two-day official visit to Cyprus, at the invitation of his Cypriot counterpart Sokratis Hasikos.

[03] Cyprus Stock Exchange

1505:CYPPRESS:03

Cyprus Stock Exchange

Nicosia, Jan 8 (CNA) - The Cyprus Stock Exchange (CSE) All Share
Index closed at today's stock exchange meeting as follows:

CSE General Index                              132,31  (-0,50)

Traded Value                  CYP  2.083.588

FTSE/CYSE 20                  CYP  1.050.910   531,09  (-0,45)

Sectoral Indices

Banks                         CYP    182.209   144,73  (-0,32)
Approved Investment
Companies                 CYP    122.991   127,32  (-0,96)
Insurance Companies           CYP     14.763    52,26  (-0,91)
Manufacturing Companies       CYP    211.762    55,96  (-0,52)
Tourism Companies             CYP     87.057   102,61  (-0,03)
Trading Companies             CYP     73.116    33,53  (-0,80)
Building and Cement Companies CYP     21.821    56,16  (-0,16)
Énformation Technology
Companies                 CYP     76.162     8,77  ( 1,74)
Financial Services Companies  CYP    267.403    29,78  (-0,53)
Fish Culture Companies        CYP        343    25,84  (-0,08)
Hotels                        CYP    214.650    81,34  (-1,05)
Other Companies               CYP    703.476   146,53  (-0,50)

* The third column presents the percentage variation of

[04] Weather and Temperatures for Cyprus

1545:CYPPRESS:04

Weather and Temperatures for Cyprus

Nicosia, Jan 8 (CNA) - Today's weather and temperatures for Cyprus,
according to the Meteorological Service at Larnaca International
Airport are:

Temperatures (degrees Celcius)
---------------------------------------------------------------
Station               Maximum     Minimum       Weather
(At 1200 UTC)
---------------------------------------------------------------
Nicosia                  10           3         FINE
Larnaca                  12           2         FINE
Limassol                 13           3         FINE
Paphos                   13           3         FINE

[05] Clerides-Denktash to meet away from media

1555:CYPPRESS:05

Clerides-Denktash to meet away from media

Nicosia, Jan 8 (CNA) -- Friday's meeting between Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, to discuss the issue of missing persons, will take place without media coverage, following a decision to this effect by the interested parties.

The announcement was made here today by Government Spokesman Michalis Papapetrou, who said the meeting will begin at 1030 (0830 GMT) and not 1000 (0800 GMT) as initially announced at the residence of the Acting Special Representative of the UN Secretary General and Chief of Mission Zbigniew Wlosowicz, in the UN controlled buffer zone in Nicosia.

"Interested parties believe the decision to keep journalists away from Friday's meeting is the appropriate one at this stage," Papapetrou said, stressing this is not a new practice to be implemented for future meetings, including next week's start of direct talks on the Cyprus question between the President and Denktash.

[06] Cyprus certain Simitis will promote Cyprus question in US

1645:CYPPRESS:06

Cyprus certain Simitis will promote Cyprus question in US

Nicosia, Jan 8 (CNA) - The Cyprus government is certain that Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis will set out Athens' steadfast positions on the solution of the Cyprus problem during his forthcoming meetings with UN chief Kofi Annan and US President George Bush.

Government Spokesman Michalis Papapetrou said today that "the Cyprus government has no doubt that the Prime Minister of Greece will reiterate the well-known positions of the Greek government on the principles of a Cyprus settlement", adding that these positions are backed by Nicosia, which is in constant contact with Athens at various levels.

Asked if the Cyprus government expected Simitis to make any request on the UN and the US, Papapetrou said they would be asked to "play their role as superpowers towards a solution complying with that which the US voted for at the Security Council".

[07] Cyprus says it will join EU as a whole

1650:CYPPRESS:07

Cyprus says it will join EU as a whole

Nicosia, Jan 8 (CNA) - Cyprus' chief negotiator for accession to the EU, George Vassiliou, today expressed hope that the Turkish side would abandon its theories on a confederation settlement on the island and would accept the idea of a federation, adding that if Cyprus talks did not lead to a positive outcome, then the whole of the Republic of Cyprus would enter the EU, with the government implementing the acquis communautaire in the areas under its control.

[08] Cypriot trade unions demand freedom of movement

1720:CYPPRESS:08

Cypriot trade unions demand freedom of movement

Nicosia, Jan 8 (CNA) - The Greek and Turkish Cypriot trade unions participating in the All Cyprus Trade Union Forum have deplored the decision of the Turkish occupation regime to prevent trade unionists to meet with their Greek Cypriot colleagues today, and said they would request the intervention of international organisations towards establishing freedom of movement.

In a press release, the standing committee of the Forum, representing Greek Cypriot SEK, PEO and PASIDI, as well as Turkish Cypriot TURK-SEN, DEV-IS and KTAMS, notes that the meeting scheduled for today in the free areas of the Republic was cancelled, as the Turkish Cypriots were not allowed to cross over into the government-controlled areas of the Republic.

[09] Cyprus eligible to join EU, say prominent personalities

1855:CYPPRESS:09

Cyprus eligible to join EU, say prominent personalities

Nicosia, Jan 8 (CNA) - Cyprus' Permanent Representative to the UN Sotos Zackheos has sent a letter to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, annexing an opinion which dismisses the allegations of professor Maurice Mendelson, included in a communication from Turkey's Permanent Representative, that Cyprus' accession to the EU is "illegal".

The annex is the text of the opinion prepared by three prominent international jurists and professors of international law, which notes that "there is no legal basis for the argument that Cyprus is prevented by the Treaty of Guarantee or by any provisions of the Constitution of 1960 from becoming a member of the EU or from complying with its treaty obligations towards Turkey once it becomes a member".

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