Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 02-12-05

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

CONTENTS

[01] Grossman and Papantoniou discuss Cyprus

[02] Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot sides reply to Annan’s letter

[03] Papandreou and Yakis want Cyprus settlement before Copenhagen

[04] Clerides withdraws reply to Annan

[05] Weather forecast for Cyprus

[06] Greek Cypriot side withdraws reply to UN chief

[07] Government begins digging for Turkish Cypriot missing

[08] Cyprus Stock Exchange

[09] Weather and Temperatures for Cyprus

[10] Turkish Cypriot side apologises for delay

[11] Italian Ambassador says there is still time for Cyprus settlement

[12] Cyprus-Israel breakthrough on flight security measures

[13] Vassiliou announces official closing of acquis chapters

[14] Turkish Cypriot response handed to UN

[01] Grossman and Papantoniou discuss Cyprus

0925:CYPPRESS:01

Grossman and Papantoniou discuss Cyprus

By Costas Iordanides

Athens, Dec 5 (CNA) -- Washingtons support for Cyprus accession to the European Union (EU), the solution of the islands political problem and granting a date for Turkey to start accession negotiations with the EU were conveyed during a meeting here yesterday between US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Marc Grossman and Greeces National Defence Minister Yiannos Papantoniou.

[02] Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot sides reply to Annan’s letter

0930:CYPPRESS:02

Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot sides reply to Annans letter

Nicosia, Dec 5 (CNA) -- Attorney General Alecos Markides revealed here Thursday that the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot sides replied on Wednesday night to the UN Secretary-Generals letter requesting from the two sides the points they wished changed in a Cyprus solution plan submitted by the UN chief on November 11.

[03] Papandreou and Yakis want Cyprus settlement before Copenhagen

1000:CYPPRESS:03

Papandreou and Yakis want Cyprus settlement before Copenhagen

Constantinople, Dec 5 (CNA) -- Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou and Turkey's Foreign Minister Yasar Yakis said on Wednesday that they wish to find a solution to the Cyprus problem before the Copenhagen European Council on 12 December, adding that even if this is not the case, the ''door'' for a solution to the problem should not be closed.

Speaking after meeting yesterday his Greek counterpart, Yakis said that both leaders on the island would convey their views on UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's plan for Cyprus and Annan will either change his plan and re-submit it to the two sides or say that these demands do not constitute compromise, the Turkish Anadolu News Agency said.

On his part, the Greek Foreign Minister said that a solution to the Cyprus problem before the EU summit is not impossible, adding that this opportunity has to be used well.

If a solution cannot be reached before the Copenhagen summit, ''this should not be the end of everything, and a new dynamism has to be brought about'', Anadolu quoted Papandreou as saying.

[04] Clerides withdraws reply to Annan

1030:CYPPRESS:04

Clerides withdraws reply to Annan

Nicosia, Dec 5 (CNA) -- The Greek Cypriot side requested the return of its reply to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annans letter requesting from the two sides the points they wished changed in a Cyprus solution plan submitted by the UN chief on November 11, after the Turkish Cypriot side failed to give its reply simultaneously.

[05] Weather forecast for Cyprus

1210:CYPPRESS:05

Weather forecast for Cyprus

Nicosia, Dec 5 (CNA) -- The Meteorological Office at Larnaca International Airport has issued the following weather forecast for Cyprus:

Friday and Saturday: 6/12/02 to 7/12/02 --------------------

Partly cloudy with probability of local showers. Winds will be light to moderate southwesterly and the state of sea slight.

Maximum temperature: Around 21C inland and around 22C over coastal areas.

Minimum temperature: 10C inland and around 13C over coastal areas.

Outllook for Sunday and Monday: 8/12/02 to 9/12/02

Unstable with local showers or thunderstorms. Small decrease of temperature is expected.

[06] Greek Cypriot side withdraws reply to UN chief

1220:CYPPRESS:06

Greek Cypriot side withdraws reply to UN chief

Nicosia, Dec 5 (CNA) -- The Greek Cypriot side withdrew here Thursday a document it delivered midnight to the United Nations with comments and suggestions to the points it wished changed in a Cyprus solution plan submitted by the UN chief on November 11.

Government Spokesman Michalis Papapetrou expressed regret over the incident which took place after it was revealed that the Turkish side had failed to hand over its reply simultaneously, as it had been arranged.

The Spokesman criticised the delaying tactics followed by the Turkish Cypriot side, noting the government of Cyprus wants only one thing, to take advantage of the current conditions on Cyprus and achieve a solution to the protracted Cyprus problem.

Papapetrou read a written statement of President Glafcos Clerides explaining developments regarding the Greek Cypriot sides reply to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annans letter of November 25.

The Cypriot official said on November 29, President Clerides informed UN Secretary-Generals Special Adviser on Cyprus, Alvaro de Soto, that he was ready to give the comments, suggestions or requests of the Greek Cypriot side as soon as he was informed that Mr. (Rauf) Denktash would do the same.

In his chronicle of the events, Clerides said that on December 4 at 10.30 pm De Soto called to say that the Turkish side was going to give its reply by 11.15 pm. Half an hour later, at around 11 pm, he telephoned again and said the Turkish side was going to hand its reply in New York at 11.30. Therefore, in the light of all these assurances, the Greek Cypriot sides reply was handed to de Soto at 11.48 pm, thus implementing the agreement that the documents would be handed simultaneously, the Spokesman explained.

This morning, at around 8.50 am (local time), de Soto contacted Undersecretary to the President Pantelis Kouros and informed him that, unfortunately, the Turkish side had not given its reply, and asked that President Clerides be informed on the development. President Clerides immediately instructed Mr. Kouros to ask Mr. de Soto to return the Greek Cypriot sides document, which indeed took place at 9.30 am.

I think that the Turkish sides behaviour is once again open for assumptions by anyone and also the UN Secretary-General, Papapetrou noted.

Asked what made the Turkish Cypriot side change its mind, Papapetrou said the UN referred to "technical reasons", that the fax machine was not functioning properly, but the UN said the reply would be given in the next hours.

The Spokesman referred journalists to de Soto to explain what grounds he had to believe the Turkish side would hand over its reply.

Expressing regret over the incident, Papapetrou replied negatively when asked if the Greek Cypriot side would change its stance against the Turkish side.

[07] Government begins digging for Turkish Cypriot missing

1230:CYPPRESS:07

Government begins digging for Turkish Cypriot missing

Nicosia, Dec 5 (CNA) -- The Greek Cypriot side began here Wednesday exploratory digging at Alaminos village in southern Cyprus to locate the site where Turkish Cypriots were reportedly buried after they lost their lives during fire exchange with the National Guard (Greek Cypriot army) on July 20, 1974.

A Foreign Ministry press release said the digging is part of the Cyprus governments efforts to investigate and ascertain, to the degree possible by the Greek Cypriot side, the fate of the missing persons, without any discrimination.

[08] Cyprus Stock Exchange

1420:CYPPRESS:08

Cyprus Stock Exchange

Nicosia, Dec 5 (CNA) - The Cyprus Stock Exchange (CSE) All Share
Index closed at today's stock exchange meeting as follows:

CSE General Index                              110,08   ( 0,47)

Traded Value                  CYP  2.337.292

FTSE/CYSE 20                  CYP    908.806   442,87   ( 0,47)

Sectoral Indices

Banks                         CYP    592.203   127,37   ( 0,09)
Approved Investment
Companies                 CYP     82.207    92,83   ( 0,83)
Insurance Companies           CYP     22.115    24,57   ( 0,70)
Manufacturing Companies       CYP     30.119    68,62   ( 0,66)
Tourism Companies             CYP      1.055   121,71   ( 0,83)
Trading Companies             CYP     45.437    21,87   ( 0,23)
Building and Cement Companies CYP     46.865    80,01   ( 2,64)
Énformation Technology
Companies                 CYP     41.824     4,18   ( 0,72)
Financial Services Companies  CYP    157.979    24,82   (-1,08)
Fish Culture Companies        CYP          0    14,89   ( 2,41)
Hotels                        CYP     66.960    54,35   ( 1,36)
Other Companies               CYP    874.336   100,22   ( 0,51)

* The third column presents the percentage variation of

[09] Weather and Temperatures for Cyprus

1500:CYPPRESS:09

Weather and Temperatures for Cyprus

Nicosia, Dec 5 (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                  20          11          CLOUDY
Larnaca                  22          15          CLOUDY
Limassol                 22          16          CLOUDY
Paphos                   24          13          CLOUDY

[10] Turkish Cypriot side apologises for delay

1730:CYPPRESS:10

Turkish Cypriot side apologises for delay

Nicosia, Dec 5 (CNA) - The United Nations have protested to the Turkish Cypriot side for failing to meet its commitment to hand over yesterday to the UN Secretariat its reactions to the Secretary General's November 11 proposal on a Cyprus settlement.

A written statement by the spokesman of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) in Nicosia, Brian Kelly, said today that the Turkish Cypriot side has conveyed its apologies through the United Nations to the Greek Cypriot side, which gave its reactions on time.

[11] Italian Ambassador says there is still time for Cyprus settlement

1730:CYPPRESS:11

Italian Ambassador says there is still time for Cyprus settlement

Nicosia, Dec 5 (CNA) - Cyprus has closed all chapters during negotiations for the island's accession to the European Union and that is a fact, Italian Ambassador to Cyprus, Gherardo La Fransesca said here today.

[12] Cyprus-Israel breakthrough on flight security measures

1825:CYPPRESS:12

Cyprus-Israel breakthrough on flight security measures

Nicosia, Dec 5 (CNA) -- Cypriot Minister of Justice and Public Order Alecos Shambos told CNA that flights between Cyprus and Israel would continue to be carried out as scheduled since the threatened Israeli ban on flights to and from the Jewish state has been suspended.

Invited to comment on reports from Israel that the country's Transport Ministry ordered all Israeli airlines to cancel their flights to Cyprus starting on Sunday ''for security reasons'', Shambos said that after deliberations he and Foreign Ministry officials had with Israeli officials, a mutual understanding has been reached between the two countries as regards the security measures in Cyprus' airports.

[13] Vassiliou announces official closing of acquis chapters

1915:CYPPRESS:13

Vassiliou announces official closing of acquis chapters

Nicosia, Dec 5 (CNA) - Cyprus' Chief Negotiator with the EU George Vassiliou officially announced here today the closing of the 31 chapters of harmonisation with the acquis communautaire, stressing that ''next Thursday Cyprus will be one of the ten countries that will accede to the EU, irrespective of the progress we will achieve or not achieve in the Cyprus problem.''

[14] Turkish Cypriot response handed to UN

2005:CYPPRESS:14

Turkish Cypriot response handed to UN

by Apostolis Zoupaniotis

United Nations, Dec 5 (CNA) - The Turkish Cypriot side handed over today its response to a letter sent to the two sides in Cyprus by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on November 25, requesting that they notify him about which points of his solution plan, handed to them on November 11, they would like to see changed.

The response was handed over to a UN official by the so-called ''representative'' of the Turkish Cypriot regime Resat Caglar

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