Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 03-03-14

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

CONTENTS

[01] Annan: We had to give up efforts

[02] Washington Post criticises Denktash's stance at UN-led talks

[03] US House members blame Turkish side for failure of Cyprus talks

[04] Cyprus offers financial aid to Palestinians

[05] Cypriot workers condemn plans for war against Iraq

[06] Australian FM urges Cyprus leaders to work for solution

[07] The island's history on a hill in the heart of bustling Nicosia

[08] Cyprus: UN report must allocate responsibility

[09] Cyprus-Greece embark on joint campaign

[10] Greek Premier in Cyprus on 18 April

[11] Foreign Minister in Brussels summit

[12] President accepts resignation of chief negotiator with EU

[13] Weather and Temperatures for Cyprus

[14] Cyprus Stock Exchange

[15] US still committed to a Cyprus settlement

[16] Cyprus to become a humanitarian aid centre for Iraq

[17] Russia favors continuation of peace talks

[01] Annan: We had to give up efforts

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Annan: We had to give up efforts

by Apostolis Zoupaniotis

[02] Washington Post criticises Denktash's stance at UN-led talks

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Washington Post criticises Denktash's stance at UN-led talks

by Apostolis Zoupaniotis

New York, Mar 14 (CNA) -- ''Thinking Parochially, Acting Selfishly'' was the title yesterday of an article in the ''Washington Post'', criticising Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash's negative stance at the UN-led Cyprus talks, earlier this week in The Hague, aiming at reaching a settlement of the protracted Cyprus problem.

[03] US House members blame Turkish side for failure of Cyprus talks

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US House members blame Turkish side for failure of Cyprus talks

by Demetris Apokis

Washington, Mar 14 (CNA) -- Members of the US House of Representatives have blamed Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash and Turkey for the failure of the UN-led Cyprus peace talks in The Hague earlier this week.

[04] Cyprus offers financial aid to Palestinians

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Cyprus offers financial aid to Palestinians

by Apostolis Zoupaniotis

[05] Cypriot workers condemn plans for war against Iraq

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Cypriot workers condemn plans for war against Iraq

Nicosia, Mar 14 (CNA) -- With a 15-minute work stoppage, workers all over the free areas of the Cyprus Republic, joined millions of workers around the world, in an international campaign against US plans for war against Iraq.

[06] Australian FM urges Cyprus leaders to work for solution

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Australian FM urges Cyprus leaders to work for solution

Nicosia, Mar 14 (CNA) -- Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer has expressed disappointment over the failure of the UN-led Cyprus peace talks in The Hague earlier this week.

''A unique opportunity has been lost,'' Downer said in a press release, noting that he is, however, heartened that the UN Secretaty-General's plan remains on the table and Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash ''have expressed their willingness to continue talks.''

''I urge both leaders to work towards the eventual reunification of Cyprus for the sake of all Cypriots,'' the Australian Foreign Minister said.

[07] The island's history on a hill in the heart of bustling Nicosia

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The island's history on a hill in the heart of bustling Nicosia

by Rebekah Gregoriades

Nicosia, Mar 14 (CNA) -- St. George's Hill is in the heart of Nicosia, a site where history is repeating itself, perhaps for the last time.

[08] Cyprus: UN report must allocate responsibility

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Cyprus: UN report must allocate responsibility

By Maria Myles

Nicosia, Mar 14 (CNA) -- The Greek Cypriot side expects that a UN report on year-long peace talks will allocate blame where it is due and will express UN resolve to continue being seized by the search for a political settlement in Cyprus, Government Spokesman Kypros Chrisostomides has said.

He also said the government will explore all possibilities to ensure that the peace effort continues with a view at reuniting the island before it officially accedes to the European Union in May 2004.

''The government expects the report will clearly allocate responsibility to where it belongs,'' the spokesman told CNA in an interview, days after the latest UN peace effort collapsed in the early hours of Tuesday, in The Hague, where the UN and others failed to convince Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash to agree to holding a referendum on a peace proposal.

Expressing regret at the outcome of the talks, the spokesman said the Turkish Cypriot leader was fully backed by Ankara during the negotiations in The Hague on Monday, which through its prime minister elect Tayyip Erdogan changed its tune on Cyprus, reversing earlier positions it had adopted.

Questioned further on the report, to be submitted to the Security Council by Secretary General's special adviser on Cyprus Alvaro de Soto who conducted the talks, Chrisostomides said that the government hopes that ''the Council and Kofi Annan apart from allocating responsibility will continue to be seized by the problem along the lines followed so far by the Security Council.''

''If fundamental issues are reopened in relation to a new process, the Greek Cypriot side reserves the right to put forward its positions,'' he said.

Asked how the government would act to meet its commitment to continue the peace effort for a settlement, he said ''we will explore all possibilities through the UN, the good offices of Secretary General Kofi Annan to achieve continuation of the negotiations.''

He said the government would also explore ''other avenues available through the European Union in the context of the UN efforts'', stressing that any future talks should take place under the aegis of the UN Secretary General.

Replying to questions, he said future peace talks will be on the basis of the Annan plan, adding that this plan is on the table.

Referring to what happened in The Hague, the Cypriot official told CNA that the Greek Cypriot side gave a definite ''yes'' to holding a referendum in response to the Secretary General's request, a position that is in line with the steadfast desire of President Tassos Papadopoulos as well as the political leadership for a speedy solution.

Chrisostomides said that the President stressed that the solution should be immediately functioning in accordance with the Annan plan and to this effect he pointed out a number of issues emanating from the plan and strictly within its parameters which would respond to the need to putting into effect immediately the new state of affairs.

The points President Papadopoulos raised relate to the completion of the basic and important legislation in the plan which would give the state an immediate framework of good start as well as preparation of the constitutions of the component states which should be compatible with the constitution as included in the Annan plan.

At the talks on Monday in The Hague, President Papadopoulos explained that the lack of cooperation on the part of Denktash to fill the gaps in the plan, repeatedly mentioned by UN officials, would mean ''a lame start'' of the state and would lead to conflict in the form of recourses to the Supreme Court on day one of the new state of affairs.

The spokesman said that during The Hague talks, Papadopoulos, as agreed with the UN, pointed out that all security arrangements between the guarantor powers should be agreed and established prior to the referendum as provided for the UN peace plan.

''The attitude of Turkey from an early stage was negative on this issue despite repeated invitations by Greece to meet and agree on this issue,'' the spokesman said.

Chrisostomides recalled that the UN had pointed out that ''lacking an agreement on this issue, there could not be any question of holding a referendum.''

He said that the effort of the Greek Cypriot side was to secure success of the eventual referendum by putting to the citizens a complete plan which the political leadership could put forward clearly to the voters and be in a position to advocate its acceptance.

The Cypriot official told CNA that the Turkish Cypriot leader's reply to the UN call for a referendum was an immediate no. Denktash told Annan that he had made this view known to him before The Hague talks.

''It is obvious that his position was supported by Turkey'', the spokesman said, recalling statements by Turkish premier-elect Tayyip Erdogan that the UN had duped the Turkish Cypriot side and that the Annan plan cannot be accepted.

Denktash wanted to effect radical changes to the plan, did not agree to the overall philosophy and structure of the plan and remained stuck to his well known positions for separate statehood, sovereignty and ethnic purity of the two component states of Cyprus that would emerge from the negotiations.

Replying to questions, the spokesman said the Turkish Cypriot side maintained a negative stance during the last part of the UN effort to achieve a revision of the timetable by agreeing on four paragraphs.

Expressing regret and disappointment for the collapse of the talks, the spokesman said that this was due entirely to the responsibility of Denktash.

[09] Cyprus-Greece embark on joint campaign

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Cyprus-Greece embark on joint campaign

Nicosia, Mar 14 (CNA) -- Government Spokesman Kypros Chrisostomides has said that the governments of Cyprus and Greece have embarked on a joint campaign to inform decision making centres in Europe and elsewhere about the collapse of the latest UN-led peace effort.

He said that to this effect President Tassos Papadopoulos will visit European Union members to brief them about the negative stand of Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash and Turkey during Monday's marathon negotiations in The Hague, which ended in failure, due to unacceptable positions adopted by the Turkish side.

[10] Greek Premier in Cyprus on 18 April

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Greek Premier in Cyprus on 18 April

Nicosia, Mar 14 (CNA) -- Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis will pay an official visit to Cyprus on 18 April, only two days after Cyprus and another nine countries sign in Athens the Accession Treaty with the European Union.

[11] Foreign Minister in Brussels summit

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Foreign Minister in Brussels summit

Nicosia, Mar 14 (CNA) -- Cyprus Foreign Minister George Iacovou will represent President Tassos Papadopoulos at next week's European Union meeting between the 15 member states and the leaders of the 10 acceding and the three candidate countries.

[12] President accepts resignation of chief negotiator with EU

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President accepts resignation of chief negotiator with EU

Nicosia, Mar 14 (CNA) -- President Tassos Papadopoulos has accepted the resignation of George Vasiliou, Cyprus' chief negotiator with the European Union, Government Spokesman Kypros Chrisostomides announced here today.

[13] Weather and Temperatures for Cyprus

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Weather and Temperatures for Cyprus

Nicosia, Mar 14(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             5         CLOUDY
Larnaca                20             7         FAIR
Limassol               21            12         FAIR
Paphos                 19            10         CLOUDY

[14] Cyprus Stock Exchange

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Cyprus Stock Exchange

Nicosia, Mar 14 (CNA) -- The Cyprus Stock Exchange (CSE) All Share
Index closed at today's stock exchange meeting as follows:

CSE General Index                               81,65   ( 0,09)

Traded Value                  CYP    653.786

FTSE/CYSE 20                  CYP    300.076   303,82   (-0,07)

Sectoral Indices

Banks                         CYP    263.007    87,15   (-0,35)
Approved Investment
Companies                 CYP     92.499    72,94   ( 1,32)
Insurance Companies           CYP      1.196    16,81   (-0,12)
Manufacturing Companies       CYP     12.789    58,19   ( 1,13)
Tourism Companies             CYP      5.828    88,54   (-2,50)
Trading Companies             CYP     11.801    17,89   (-0,67)
Building and Cement Companies CYP     23.865    72,46   ( 1,24)
Énformation Technology
Companies                 CYP      4.524     2,85   ( 0,71)
Financial Services Companies  CYP     28.085    15,40   ( 0,92)
Fish Culture Companies        CYP        528    11,17   (-0,18)
Hotels                        CYP      5.222    43,12   ( 0,09)
Other Companies               CYP     43.528    78,74   (-0,13)

* The third column presents the percentage variation of

[15] US still committed to a Cyprus settlement

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US still committed to a Cyprus settlement

Nicosia, Mar 14 (CNA)-- Despite the failure of the UN-led talks in The Hague, the United Stated are committed to seeking a just and durable settlement to the Cyprus problem, Assistant Secretary of State, head of the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs Beth Jones has said.

[16] Cyprus to become a humanitarian aid centre for Iraq

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Cyprus to become a humanitarian aid centre for Iraq

Larnaca, Mar 14 (CNA)-- Cyprus will become the centre of the humanitarian support for Iraq as the United Nations are setting up a hub to coordinate humanitarian efforts in view of the looming war on Iraq.

[17] Russia favors continuation of peace talks

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Russia favors the continuation of peace talks

Nicosia, Mar 14, (CNA)-- The Russian Federation favors the continuation of the Cyprus peace process under the aegis of the UN Secretary General to achieve a comprehensive political settlement.

A press release issued by the Russian embassy in Nicosia expresses regret that ''the efforts by the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to find a solution of the Cyprus question have not yielded a positive result at this stage''.

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