Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 02-06-22

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

CONTENTS

[01] Pique encourages two sides to reunite Cyprus

[02] Seville European Council reaffirms Helsinki conclusions

[03] Government will not allow any new fait accompli from occupatation army

[04] Public holiday

[05] Federation of UK Cypriots protests

[06] Sezer wants third parties to stay out of Cyprus talks

[07] Cem hopes two sides will solve Cyprus problem

[08] Seville European Council urges sides to reunite Cyprus

[09] Foreign Minister welcomes EU Seville conclusions

[01] Pique encourages two sides to reunite Cyprus

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Pique encourages two sides to reunite Cyprus

by Rebekah Gregoriades

Seville, Jun 22 (CNA) - Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Pique, whose country holds the European Union rotating presidency until the end of June, has encouraged the two sides in Cyprus to continue their efforts to reunite the island.

He noted that Cyprus could be one of the EU candidates to sign Accession Treaties in the first quarter of 2003 and join in the first half of 2004.

Pique also urged Turkey to implement the political and economic reforms for the start of accession negotiations with the Union.

[02] Seville European Council reaffirms Helsinki conclusions

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Seville European Council reaffirms Helsinki conclusions

by Rebekah Gregoriades

Seville, Jun 22 (CNA) - The European Council, convening in Seville, notes in the draft presidency conclusions that it fully supports UN efforts to reunite Cyprus and urges the leaders of the two communities on the island to intensify their efforts in this direction.

The Spanish presidency reaffirms the Helsinki summit conclusions, that a solution to the Cyprus problem is not a precondition for EU accession and notes that the EU would accomodate the terms of a comprehensive settlement in the Treaty of Accession, in line with the principles on which the EU is founded.

[03] Government will not allow any new fait accompli from occupatation army

1630:CYPPRESS:03

Government will not allow any new fait accompli from occupation army

Nicosia, Jun 22 (CNA) -- The government is determined not to allow the Turkish occupation army to create new fait accompli and is considering the possibility of making a recourse to the UN Security Council with regard to the illegal arrival of an additional 5.500 Turkish occupation troops, Defence Minister Socratis Hasikos has said.

He was commenting on press reports that the occupation army caused tension near the village of Pyla, which borders the occupied part of the Republic, when it started road works. Two years ago the Turkish army moved their positions forward and violated the status quo in the village of Strovilia and despite repeated calls by the UN to pull back to their original positions, nothing has changed.

The Foreign Ministry said in a written statement on the incident that it made representations to the UN, when it detected activity on Wednesday outside the UN controlled buffer zone, north of Pyla (on the south east of the island).

The ministry said activity ceased on Thursday, it is monitoring the situation closely and expressed satisfaction with preemptive moves the UN peace-keeping force made to ensure the current status quo is maintained.

UN spokesman Brian Kelly told CNA today "there was some road building activity in the vicinity of the buffer zone, of which UNIFYCP was aware."

[04] Public holiday

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Public holiday

Nicosia, Jun 22 (CNA) -- The Cyprus News Agency would like to inform its subscribers that on Monday, 24 June, a public holiday, its Nicosia offices will be open from 0900 until 1400.

Cyprus time is three hours ahead of GMT. CNA MM/2002 ENDS, CYPRUS NEWS AGENCY

[05] Federation of UK Cypriots protests

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Federation of UK Cypriots protests

by Kyriakos Tsioupras

London, Jun 22 (CNA) -- The National Federation of Cypriots in Britain has sent a letter of protest to British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, seeking clarifications about London's position on the Cyprus question.

The letter was sent in the wake of a furor caused by Britain's special representative on Cyprus Lord David Hannay, who talked about the creation of a new state in Cyprus and the existence of "two peoples" on the island.

[06] Sezer wants third parties to stay out of Cyprus talks

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Sezer wants third parties to stay out of Cyprus talks

by Rebekah Gregoriades

Seville, Jun 22 (CNA) - Turkish President Ahmed Nezdet Sezer today stressed he wanted third parties to keep their distance from UN-led peace talks to solve the Cyprus problem and claimed that the Greek Cypriot side should show good will for a settlement.

Speaking at a press conference after a working lunch in Seville, hosted by the Spanish presidency for the heads of state and government of EU members and candidate countries, Sezer said Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash had put forward "rather important" proposals on how to solve the problem of Cyprus, divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third.

Replying to questions on the Seville European Council conclusions regarding the paragraph on Turkey, Sezer said "I do not think it includes any negative statements".

Referring to Cyprus, Sezer said "there have been rather important and wide-ranged proposals by Denktash and it is our expectation that this process will continue and that the Greek side will show a good will approach to this issue".

[07] Cem hopes two sides will solve Cyprus problem

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Cem hopes two sides will solve Cyprus problem

by Rebekah Gregoriades

Seville, Jun 22 (CNA) - Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem said today that he hoped the two sides in Cyprus would "come together" and reach a solution to the problem of Cyprus, divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third.

Cem told CNA he believed it was feasible to find a solution to the Cyprus question and spoke of "two nations" on the island, thus reiterating Turkish divisionary positions.

The Turkish Minister did not answer CNA questions on how Turkey would react to Cyprus' accession to the EU prior to a political settlement and at the same time remain in line with its obligations as a candidate country for EU accession.

"I wish the 'nations' success in this negotiation process. I believe that it is possible, that it is feasible, so I hope that the two nations in Cyprus really come together and really achieve an agreement", he said of the UN-led peace talks on Cyprus.

[08] Seville European Council urges sides to reunite Cyprus

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Seville European Council urges sides to reunite Cyprus

by Rebekah Gregoriades

Seville, Jun 22 (CNA) - The Seville European Council has adopted its final conclusions, by which it expresses full support to UN efforts for the reunification of Cyprus and furthermore urges the Greek and Turkish Cypriot sides to continue and intensify efforts towards a comprehensive settlement, consistent with relevant UN Security Council resolutions.

It also reaffirms the Helsinki summit conclusions, which point out that a solution to the Cyprus problem is not a precondition for EU accession, and notes that the EU would accomodate the terms of a comprehensive settlement in the Treaty of Accession in line with the principles on which the EU is founded.

The Seville European Council wrapped up its two-day works this afternoon, with a lunch hosted for the heads of state or government and the foreign ministers of the 15 member states and the applicant countries.

Before the lunch, Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, European Commission President Romano Prodi and High Representative for EU Common Foreign and Defence Policy Javier Solana gave a joint press conference, during which they spoke about the two-day European Council deliberations.

They said special emphasis was given to asylum and immigration, and the EU-NATO discussions for the European rapid reaction force.

Aznar said that on the whole the Spanish presidency had "achieved a vast majority" of the goals it set out when taking over the EU rotating presidency for the first half of 2002.

He added that "decisive steps have been taken towards enlargement" and that "we have reached the final stage of negotiations" with the candidate countries.

Prodi said "a lot of work" was still needed until the end of the year regarding enlargement.

In its final conclusions, the European Council "reaffirms that, if the present rate of progress in negotiations and reforms is maintained, the EU is determined to conclude the negotiations with Cyprus, Malta, Hungary, Poland, the Slovak Republic, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, the Czech Republic and Slovenia by the end of 2002, if these countries are ready".

"Drafting of the Treaty of Accession should continue so that it can be completed as soon as possible after the conclusion of the accession negotiations. It would seem reasonable to expect that the Treaty of Accession can be signed in the autumn of 2003. The objective remains that these countries should participate in the elections for the European Parliament in 2004 as full members. However, this common aim can be realised within the time frame envisaged only if each candidate country adopts a realistic and constructive approach", it adds.

In respect of the accession of Cyprus, the presidency notes that "the Helsinki conclusions are the basis of the EU's position" and that "the EU's preference continues to be for the accession of a reunited island".

The European Council "supports without reservation the efforts of the UN Secretary General and calls upon the leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities to intensify and expedite their talks in order to seize this unique opportunity which presents itself to reach a comprehensive settlement, consistent with the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council, in the hope that this will happen before the conclusion of the negotiations".

The presidency notes that "the EU would accomodate the terms of such a comprehensive settlement in the Treaty of Accession in line with the principles on which the EU is founded".

[09] Foreign Minister welcomes EU Seville conclusions

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Foreign Minister welcomes EU Seville conclusions

by Athena Arsalidou

Seville, Jun 22 (CNA) -- Foreign Minister Ioannis Kasoulides expressed here today satisfaction with the paragraph referring to Cyprus in the conclusions of the two-day European Council, held yesterday and today in Seville.

Kasoulides said that the 15 EU member states have briefed during todays lunch the applicant countries on the conclusions of the Summit and they underlined that the EU is determined to keep to the time table for enlargement.

The minister also said that the final decision as to which countries will be invited to join the EU will be made at the European Council in Copenhagen in six months' time.

This is particularly important for us since it is linked with the efforts to solve the Cyprus problem, Kasoulides stated.

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