Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 04-12-07

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

CONTENTS

[01] EU summit draft on Turkey circulated among members

[02] US refrains from comment on need for Turkey to recognise Cyprus

[03] Greek-Russian leaders to discuss Cyprus issue

[04] Cyprus government ''disappointed'' with EU summit draft

[05] EU President arrives for talks

[06] Cyprus spokesman comments on Greece, Russia, USA

[07] Cyprus Stock Exchange

[08] Weather and Temperatures for Cyprus

[09] Dutch Premier says Cyprus solution not in Copenhagen criteria

[10] Balkenende: Recognition of Cyprus linked with Ankara Agreement

[01] EU summit draft on Turkey circulated among members

0850:CYPPRESS:01

EU summit draft on Turkey circulated among members

by Nicos Bellos

Brussels, Dec 7 (CNA) -- The wording of a second draft for next week's European Union summit, with regard to Turkey's bid to secure a date for the start of accession negotiations, has changed and now notes that Turkey has to take into account the accession of ''the ten new member states''.

The first draft did not include a reference to the number of the new members, including Cyprus, that joined the EU in May this year.

[02] US refrains from comment on need for Turkey to recognise Cyprus

0930:CYPPRESS:02

US refrains from comment on need for Turkey to recognise Cyprus

by Demetris Apokis

Washington, Dec 7 (CNA) -- Washington has refrained from any comment on the need for Ankara to recognise Nicosia, a European Union member, as Turkey is seeking to secure a date at next week's EU summit for the start of accession negotiations.

[03] Greek-Russian leaders to discuss Cyprus issue

1030:CYPPRESS:03

Greek-Russian leaders to discuss Cyprus issue

by Christa Nikolaou

Athens, Dec 7 (CNA) -- Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis and Russian President Vladimir Putin will discuss the question of Cyprus and relations between the European Union and Russia at a meeting in Moscow on Thursday.

The talks will also cover bilateral issues as well as EU-Turkish relations, barely a week before the Union decides whether or not to start accession negotiations with Ankara and days after Putin held talks with the Turkish leadership in Ankara.

Karamanlis leaves Tuesday afternoon for Moscow where he will meet the president of the Federal Council, the prime minister and the mayor of Moscow.

The Greek premier will talk to members of the Greek community in Russia, meet Patriarch Alexios II and award an honorary medal to the son of a Greek national killed during the terrorist attack at a school in Beslan, where hundreds of people were killed.

Greece is looking forward to closer cooperation with Russia within the UN Security Council, as it will hold a non permanent seat at the UN body.

[04] Cyprus government ''disappointed'' with EU summit draft

1345:CYPPRESS:04

Cyprus government ''disappointed'' with EU summit draft

Nicosia, Dec 7 (CNA) -- The Cyprus government has expressed disappointment with a revised draft of the conclusions European Union leaders are expected to adopt at next week's summit.

''Since the draft has been leaked, I would like to express our disappointment with its contents. There is no substantive change and President Papadopoulos will outline our positions later today at his meeting with EU current president, Dutch premier Jan Peter Balkenende,'' Government Spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides said here today.

He said the third paragraph of the section on Turkey ''merely repeats the wording of the previous draft with the addition that the Ankara agreement will be extended to the ''ten new member states.''

[05] EU President arrives for talks

1415:CYPPRESS:05

EU President arrives for talks

Larnaca, Dec 7 (CNA) -- Jan Peter Balkenende, current president of the European Council and Prime Minister of The Netherlands, has arrived in Cyprus for talks with Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos, a week before the European Union decides on whether to begin accession talks with Turkey.

[06] Cyprus spokesman comments on Greece, Russia, USA

1420:CYPPRESS:06

Cyprus spokesman comments on Greece, Russia, USA

Nicosia, Dec 7 (CNA) -- The Cyprus government has no official information that the USA are threatening with dire repercussions, if Nicosia blocks a decision by the European Union to begin accession negotiations with Turkey, at an EU meeting next week.

Government Spokesman Kypros Chrysostomides also said that Nicosia has the full backing of Athens and stressed that bilateral ties with Russia have always been close and friendly.

Chrysostomides explained that statements to the effect that ''bricks will fall'' on Cyprus if it exercises its right of veto could not be confirmed but noted that the US has officially backed Turkey's European prospective as well as the start of accession negotiations.

[07] Cyprus Stock Exchange

1520:CYPPRESS:07
Cyprus Stock Exchange
Nicosia, Dec 7 (CNA) - The Cyprus Stock Exchange (CSE) All Share
Index closed at today's stock exchange meeting as follows:

INDICES BASE VALUES: FTSEMed=5000, OTHERS=1000

TRADED VALUE                       278.528,11

GSE GENERAL INDEX                       72,41     0,22    251.427,75
FTSE/CySE 20                           339,32    -0,24    223.045,03
MAIN MARKET INDEX                    1.015,23    -0,23    195.779,97
PARALLEL MARKET INDEX                  866,08    -1,43      6.441,15
INVESTMENT COMPANIES MARKET INDEX      926,42    -0,02     29.551,84
MAIN AND PARALLEL MARKETS INDEX      1.009,46    -0,27    202.221,12
BANKS INDEX                          1.029,76     0,02    171.869,87
HOTELS INDEX                           910,11    -0,13        442,65
ALTERNATIVE MARKET INDEX               853,12     0,38     46.368,09
FTSE Med (6/12/2004)                 6.541,35     0,49

* The second column presents the percentage variation of the indices

[08] Weather and Temperatures for Cyprus

1550:CYPPRESS:08

Weather and Temperatures for Cyprus

Nicosia, Dec 7 (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               19             7              CLOUDY
Larnaca               20            10              FINE
Limassol              21            13              FAIR
Paphos                20            12              CLOUDY

[09] Dutch Premier says Cyprus solution not in Copenhagen criteria

1725:CYPPRESS:09

Dutch Premier says Cyprus solution not in Copenhagen criteria

Nicosia, Dec 7 (CNA) - Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende said today that ''solving the Cyprus problem is not a part of the Copenhagen criteria but we all want to take steps which could lead to start improving the situation.''

Speaking after a meeting in Nicosia with Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos, Balkenende said ''the element of the Ankara agreement could really help'' in that direction.

''The Ankara agreement is possibly the cornerstone to find solutions'' to the issue of recognition of all EU member states by Turkey, he added.

[10] Balkenende: Recognition of Cyprus linked with Ankara Agreement

2020:CYPPRESS:10

Balkenende: Recognition of Cyprus linked with Ankara Agreement

Nicosia, 7 Dec (CNA) -- The adaptation of the Ankara Agreement (EU Turkey Customs Union) is possibly the cornerstone for the solution of the issue of the recognition of the Republic of Cyprus by Turkey, Jan Peter Balkenende, current President of the European Council and Dutch Prime Minister has said here today.

Speaking after meeting Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos, Balkenende also noted that the Ankara Agreement could help in improving the situation on the Cyprus problem.

In his remarks, Papadopoulos reiterated that Cyprus supports Turkey's EU bid, provided that the country fulfills its obligations towards the EU and Cyprus.

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