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Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 07-10-02
CONTENTS
[01] CYPRUS SHIPPING - TURKEY - EURO MPS
[02] PACE - RESOLUTION - ECHR
[01] CYPRUS SHIPPING - TURKEY - EURO MPS
The issue of the Turkish embargo against ships flying the Cyprus flag
was the focus of attention during the meeting of Secretary General of
the Cyprus Shipping Council Thomas Kazakos with British MPs Andrew
Dismore and Viredra Sharma, members of the UK parliamentary committee
``Friends of Cyprus``. Kazakos has told CNA that the two MPs were
informed on the problem faced by Cyprus and the EU in general by the
continuing Turkish ban on ships flying the Cyprus flag, in an effort to
better formulate the positions they will be presenting at the House of
Commons on the Cyprus problem and the need for a solution.
``We gave them all the information they requested and we will give them
further information of a technical nature very soon,`` he said, noting
that they would be launching ``a significant effort to clearly raise
the issue of the adverse consequences this embargo has on the Cypriot
economy and the shipping industry, as well as European financial and
maritime issues, and maybe at a later stage on Turkish commercial
interests.`` Kazakos noted that the longstanding effort of the
``Friends of Cyprus`` aimed at promoting the Cyprus problem and the
consequences of its non solution.
He furthermore referred to the meeting the Council had on Monday with
MEPs members of the European Parliament Transport Committee who
unanimously said the Turkish embargo was a non negotiable matter for
the EU and should be lifted immediately if Turkey wished to have a
European future. Kazakos said that during the meeting the situation
concerning Cyprus` shipping and maritime was presented, with emphasis
on the infrastructure, ship owning and ship management.
[02] PACE - RESOLUTION - ECHR
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has called
on all states members to the Convention on the Human Rights to refrain
from putting pressure on applicants in a bid to prevent them from
submitting appeals to the European Court of Human Rights, expressing
``deep concern`` over illicit pressure, intimidation by member-states
to individuals aspiring to appeal to the ECHR.
``As all states parties to the Convention have undertaken not to hinder
in any way the effective exercise of the right of individual
applications (Article 34 of the Convention), the Assembly is deeply
worried about the fact that a number of cases involving the alleged
killing, disappearance, beating or threatening of applicants initiating
cases before the Court have still have not been fully and effectively
investigated by the competent authorities,`` the resolution approved
unanimously by PACE notes, adding that ``on the contrary, in a
significant number of cases there are clear signs of a lack of
willingness to effectively investigate the allegations and in some
cases the intention of whitewashing is clearly apparent.``
Rapporteur of the resolution entitled ``Member-states` duty to
cooperate with ECHR``, Cypriot MP Christos Pourgourides told CNA that
this resolution is a ``clear warning to those countries which
unfortunately continue to create impediments in the efforts of their
citizens to protect their human rights.`` He added that the countries
referred to by the resolution are the Russian Federation and Turkey.
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