Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 05-06-18

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

CONTENTS

[01] Cyprus President says regression to postpone Constitution ratification

[02] New British High Commissioner: Progress very much up to Cypriot political will

[03] EDP Leaders discuss Cyprus problem, Turkey's EU prospect

[01] Cyprus President says regression to postpone Constitution ratification

0340:CYPPRESS:01

Cyprus President says regression to postpone Constitution ratification

by Themis Themistocleous

Brussels, Jun 18 (CNA) -- Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos said any postponement of the ratification of the EU Constitutional Treaty by the House of Representatives would be a serious regression and blow to the validity of the Republic of Cyprus.

Asked what stance he would take on in case anything of this kind was requested by a political party or parties in Cyprus, in the light of decisions taken at the European Council in Brussels on the future course of ratifying the Treaty, President Papadopoulos wondered what Cyprus could possibly gain from a postponement of the ratification process, which has been scheduled with a debate at the House on June 29 and 30.

''We insist on our position. I believe it would be a serious regression for Cyprus if it put it off. It would be a blow to the validity of Cyprus because, at least, the great majority of the Union's members expect the countries that have set their ratification procedures in action to follow them through faithfully, otherwise the message will be given that euro-skepticism is increasing in our case too, while everyone's wish is for the two 'no', or others that may present themselves, to be reversed or counterbalanced by a plethora of yes,'' he told a press conference.

The Cypriot President added that it would be a mistake on behalf of Cyprus to take such a decision.

To a remark that some EU member states have already announced a postponement of their ratification processes, President Papadopoulos noted that these were countries in which ratification will occur through a referendum and not by a parliament decision.

He wondered what Cyprus had to gain by postponing the process. ''An issue of renegotiating the Constitution does not arise. Despite the difficulties and reservations expressed, surely this text is better than the Nice Treaty, which will continue to apply if the new Constitutional Treaty is not approved,'' President Papadopoulos pointed out.

He said the summit approved a joint statement regarding the European Constitution, which reads that the member states remain dedicated to the necessity of concluding the Constitutional Treaty, a new conference will be called by June 2006 to re-evaluate the situation as it will be then, while in the meantime the countries in which the ratification process is in progress will continue the process, such as Cyprus, but other countries are given the faculty, if they so deem necessary, to change the timeframe of ratifying the Treaty.

[02] New British High Commissioner: Progress very much up to Cypriot political will

1020:CYPPRESS:01

New British High Commissioner: Progress very much up to Cypriot political will

By Kyriacos Tsioupras

London, Jun 18 (CNA)- Íew British High Commissioner to Nicosia, Peter Joseph Millett said it is very much up to the political will of the leaders of the two communities to take the Cyprus process forward.

Speaking to Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot journalists at the Foreign Office, Millet also said that after last year's referendums there must be some kind of a new process, adding that that we have to wait to see ''what happens to the UN process and we are looking forward to the ideas that the UN will produce''.

[03] EDP Leaders discuss Cyprus problem, Turkey's EU prospect

1410:CYPPRESS:03

EDP Leaders discuss Cyprus problem, Turkey's EU prospect

Nicosia, Jun 18 (CNA) -- Accession negotiations cannot start with a country such as Turkey which occupies a part of Cyprus, a member-state of European Union, said President of the French Federation of Democratic Union (UDF) and co-President of the European Democratic Party Francois Bayrou.

Bayrou is participating with other European leaders as well as Members of the European Parliament at the deliberations of the European Democratic Party's Conference which take place in the southeastern town of Larnaca.

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