Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 04-06-11

Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

CONTENTS

[01] Security Council concludes informal consulations on UNFICYP

[02] EU to invite Turkey to extend customs union to Cyprus

[03] Cyprus Stock Exchange

[04] Weather and Temperatures for Cyprus

[05] Cyprus government appears satisfied with draft UNFICYP resolution

[06] Cyprus announces decision to back PSI

[07] Third World Congress in Fetal Medicine to be held in Limassol

[08] Asylum applications in Cyprus record decrease

[09] Cyprus President: We want bizonal, bicommunal federation

[10] Cyprus President: No new referendum on UN plan without changes

[11] Security Council approves resolution on UNFICYP

[01] Security Council concludes informal consulations on UNFICYP

Security Council concludes informal consultations on UNFICYP

by Apostolis Zoupaniotis

United Nations, Jun 11 (CNA) -- Security Council members concluded their informal consultations on a draft resolution with regard to the renewal of the mandate of the peace-keeping force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), expected to be adopted later today.

The draft, submitted by Britain, proposes the renewal of the force's mandate for another six months and decides to act upon the recommendations of the Secretary General in his review of UNFICYP within one month of receiving them.

The Council, the draft said, welcomes the report of the Secretary-General of 26 May on the United Nations operation in Cyprus, and in particular the call to the parties to assess and address the humanitarian issue of missing persons with due urgency and seriousness.

It notes that the government of Cyprus agreed that in view of the prevailing conditions in the island it was necessary to keep UNFICYP beyond 15 June 2004 and welcomes the Secretary-Generals intention to conduct a review, to be completed within three months, on UNFICYPs mandate, force levels and concept of operation, in view of the 24 April 2004 referenda and taking into account developments on the ground, and the views of the parties.

In the April referenda, Greek Cypriots rejected by an overwhelming majority a UN proposal plan for a comprehensive settlement. Turkish Cypriots approved it.

The Council reaffirms ''all its relevant resolutions on Cyprus, in particular resolution 1251 (1999) of 29 June 1999 and subsequent resolutions and decides to extend the mandate of UNFICYP for a further period ending 15 December 2004 and to consider the recommendations of the Secretary-General in his review of UNFICYP and to act upon them within one month of receiving them.''

It urges the Turkish Cypriot side and the Turkish forces to ''rescind without delay all remaining restrictions on UNFICYP, and calls on them to restore in Strovilia the military status quo which existed there prior to 30 June 2000.''

In June 2000 the Turkish occupation forces in northern Cyprus moved their positions forward near the area of Strovilia and have since refused to restore the status quo ante, in spite of repeated calls by the UN.

[02] EU to invite Turkey to extend customs union to Cyprus

0935:CYPPRESS:02

EU to invite Turkey to extend customs union to Cyprus

by Nicos Bellos

Brussels, Jun 11 (CNA) -- European Union leaders will call on Turkey at their summit next week to extend its custom union agreement to Cyprus as well.

The decision to invite Ankara to make such a move was taken at a meeting of EU ambassadors here on Thursday as they prepared next week's summit between 17-18 June and follows a firm stance by Cyprus when it expressed reservations about the draft text of the summit conclusions.

The reservation related to the entire paragraph of the conclusions on Turkey and was due to the exclusion of Cyprus by Ankara from its customs union agreement with the EU. All other new member states were afforded this relationship with Turkey through its custom union agreement.

[03] Cyprus Stock Exchange

1450:CYPPRESS:03

Cyprus Stock Exchange

Nicosia, Jun 11 (CNA) - The Cyprus Stock Exchange (CSE) All Share
Index closed at today's stock exchange meeting as follows:

CSE General Index                               77,17   (-0,43)

Traded Value                  CYP    334.268

FTSE/CYSE 20                  CYP    252.764   342,18   (-0,97)
FTSE Med 100                                 6.439,66   ( 0,05)

Sectoral Indices

Banks                         CYP     210.136   99,79   (-0,46)
Approved Investment
Companies                 CYP      10.745   71,58   (-0,07)
Insurance Companies           CYP       1.297   12,57   (-2,71)
Manufacturing Companies       CYP      19.718   50,09   ( 0,04)
Tourism Companies             CYP       4.007   48,96   (-0,61)
Trading Companies             CYP      10.150   21,23   ( 0,14)
Building and Cement Companies CYP       3.623   62,21   (-1,14)
Énformation Technology
Companies                 CYP       2.157    2,29   (-0,43)
Financial Services Companies  CYP      24.221    7,66   ( 0,66)
Fish Culture Companies        CYP          14   11,17   (-3,29)
Hotels                        CYP      13.435   26,67   (-0,67)
Other Companies               CYP      30.692   63,71   (-0,31)

* The third column presents the percentage variation of

[04] Weather and Temperatures for Cyprus

1545:CYPPRESS:04

Weather and Temperatures for Cyprus

Nicosia, Jun 11 (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                 33            21          FAIR
Larnaca                 29            20          FINE
Limassol                29            20          FINE
Paphos                  27            19          FINE

[05] Cyprus government appears satisfied with draft UNFICYP resolution

1620:CYPPRESS:05

Cyprus government appears satisfied with draft UNFICYP resolution

Nicosia, Jun 11 (CNA) -- The Republic of Cyprus appears satisfied with the draft resolution for the renewal of the mandate of the peacekeeping force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), agreed upon on Thursday by members of the Security Council and expected to be adopted later Friday.

[06] Cyprus announces decision to back PSI

1635:CYPPRESS:06

Cyprus announces decision to back PSI

Nicosia, Jun 11 (CNA) -- Minister of Foreign Affairs George Iacovou announced here today a Cabinet decision to offer its full support to the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), saying that it reaffirms the government's long-standing commitment to prevent proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, their delivery systems and related materials worldwide.

[07] Third World Congress in Fetal Medicine to be held in Limassol

1650:CYPPRESS:07

Third World Congress in Fetal Medicine to be held in Limassol

Nicosia, Jun 11 (CNA) -- The Third World Congress in Fetal Medicine, organised by the Fetal Medicine Foundation, will be held in the south-western coastal town of Limassol on June 20 and 21, and will deal with developments in fetal medicine.

[08] Asylum applications in Cyprus record decrease

1650:CYPPRESS:08

Asylum applications in Cyprus record decrease

Nicosia, June 11 (CNA) - The number of people seeking asylum in Cyprus recorded a decrease in the first quarter of 2004, compared to the previous quarter.

[09] Cyprus President: We want bizonal, bicommunal federation

1720:CYPPRESS:09

Cyprus President: We want bizonal, bicommunal federation

Larnaca, Jun 11 (CNA) - Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos said what the Greek Cypriot side is pursuing is well known and clear, that is a bizonal, bicommunal federation, stressing that UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's solution plan as it is, without any changes, will not be accepted and will not be put to a referendum again.

The President was speaking during his return from the US where he met UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan at the UN headquarters and signed an agreement with Harvard University to set up a research centre in Cyprus.

Speaking to reporters, he said it would not be wise to refer to the specific changes the Greek Cypriot side is seeking to the Annan Plan, before there is any possibility in the horizon for a resumption of the dialogue for a Cyprus settlement.

He said the Secretary General is aware of the issues, which the Greek Cypriot side had raised, and that these were within the parametres of Kofi Annan's plan, and were not satisfied.

The Cypriot President said he had explained the Greek Cypriot side's positions to the Un chief and listened to Annan's views.

President Papadopoulos also said that his written reply to Annan's report on his mission of good offices was ''a good reply'' and refutes many inaccuracies that were expressed in the past both by Mr. (Alvaro) de Soto and others.''

''I do not know of anyone who is dissatisfied with the reply, except perhaps Mr. de Soto,'' the President added.

In his remarks, the President said the Greek Cypriot side rejects the island's division and agrees with the economic measures to support the Turkish Cypriots, provided that Security Council resolutions 540 and 550, which note that no country should promote divisive actions or recognise the illegal regime, are implemented.

[10] Cyprus President: No new referendum on UN plan without changes

1950:CYPPRESS:10

Cyprus President: No new referendum on UN plan without changes

Larnaca, Jun 11 (CNA) -- Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos said today there was ''a disagreement but not a discord'' with the UN Secretary-General, the US and Britain as regards the Cyprus settlement plan proposed by UN chief Kofi Annan, noting however that the plan will not be put to a referendum again as it is, without changes.

He stressed that the Greek Cypriot side is pursuing a bizonal, bicommunal federation and favours economic measures to support Turkish Cypriots, as long as these do not fall outside the framework of UN resolutions 541 and 550, which call for all states not to recognise the illegal regime in the Turkish occupied areas of the island.

The President was speaking at Larnaca Airport on his return from the US where he met Kofi Annan at UN headquarters and signed an agreement with Harvard University to set up a research centre in Cyprus.

President Papadopoulos said the Greek Cypriot side's firm position is that it ''rejects partition and will never accept it, either directly or indirectly.''

He said the wording of the resolution on the renewal of the mandate of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) seemed final and that it would probably be voted on today.

However, he said a resolution on the UN Secretary-General's report on his mission of good offices did not seem likely to be adopted by the Council.

Referring to his meeting with Kofi Annan last month, he said the purpose was to explain the Greek Cypriot side's positions after the rejection of the Annan Plan in the April 24 referendum and to exchange views but no proposals where made as to what the next step would be.

President Papadopoulos also said that his written reply to Annan's report on his mission of good offices was ''a good reply and refutes many inaccuracies that were expressed in the past both by Mr. (Alvaro) de Soto (UN Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Cyprus) and others.''

''I do not know of anyone who is dissatisfied with the reply, except perhaps Mr. de Soto,'' the President added.

President Papadopoulos was critical of de Soto, countering what the UN diplomat had said that the Greek Cypriot side had never raised the issue of security during the negotiations for a comprehensive settlement based on Annan's plan.

''This is one of our main grievances because during all those days of negotiations, Mr. de Soto did not seriously take into consideration our views, to the point where we doubt whether he had read the notes which he had conveyed to him,'' the President said.

The Cypriot President said he gave a letter on March 15 to de Soto, outlining his concerns on security and tabling suggestions on how to overcome them.

He acknowledged that there was ''a disagreement but not a discord'' with the UN Secretary-General, the US and Britain on the Annan Plan, ''because their views are known, they believe that the Annan Plan is the only plan that can lead to a bizonal, bicommunal federation.''

[11] Security Council approves resolution on UNFICYP

2015:CYPPRESS:11

Security Council approves resolution on UNFICYP

by Apostolis Zoupaniotis

United Nations, Jun 11 (CNA) - The UN Security Council unanimously approved resolution 1548, renewing the mandate of the peacekeeping force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).

Cyprus News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article