Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 08-01-06

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

CONTENTS

[01] GREEK FM- CYPRUS VISIT

[02] FORMER FM PASSED AWAY

[03] CYPRUS PRESIDENT CNA FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS

[01] GREEK FM- CYPRUS VISIT

The Conference will take place in Paphos between 17 and 18 January 2008.

The Foreign Ministers of Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Malta, Romania, Bulgaria and Slovenia are expected to participate.

The first Informal Conference of Foreign Ministers of the EU Mediterranean member- states was organised in Greece in October 2006. The previous conference was held in Slovenia in July 2007.

[02] FORMER FM PASSED AWAY

Michaelides was born in 1933. He studied Economics in the UK.

In 1997, he was elected President of the House of Representatives (1977-1981).

In 1993, Michaelides was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs. He served as a Foreign Minister until 1997.

[03] CYPRUS PRESIDENT CNA FOREIGN CORRESPONDENTS

Speaking at a lunch hosted by CNA for foreign media correspondents on Friday in Nicosia, President Papadopoulos said that we have a reason to be proud for the successful introduction of the Euro in Cyprus, adding that Cyprus is now in a stronger position to pursue a solution to the Cyprus problem.

Taking this opportunity, President Papadopoulos thanked all the Ministers of the cabinet, the government employees and the banking sector as well for their cooperation and for responding to the very earnest and very good preparations which the government service has prepared for the smooth introduction of the Euro in our country.

In this respect, President Papadopoulos noted the European Committees satisfaction on the way things are progressing and expressed hope that the people of Cyprus would be getting more accustomed with the Euro to ensure the smooth transition from the Cyprus pound to the new currency.

The President pointed out that through the initiatives we have taken in the past, I think we are now in a stronger position to pursue a solution to the Cyprus problem, which the people of Cyprus deserve and which I think is the only way of ensuring the reunification of our country.

Referring to the substance of a Cyprus settlement, President Papadopoulos clarified that reunification for us means the reunification of the society, of the territory, of the institutions and the economy, adding that no country can be called a unified country unless these four pillars coexist.

The President reaffirmed his commitment to a bizonal bicommunal federation, reminding that this is the declared and the agreed principle in the Agreement I have signed with Mr. Talat in the presence of Mr. Gambari.

President Papadopoulos underlined that this Agreement is supported by the Security Council, all the five permanent members and by the recent European Union Conclusions, stressing that with these Conclusions, which are the strongest ever in support of a solution of the Cyprus problem, as he noted, Turkey is invited to actively pursue the implementation of the Gambari Agreement.

On 1 January 2008, Cyprus became the 14th European Union member to join the Eurozone. The adoption of the Euro has been described a landmark in the financial history of Cyprus. Malta also adopted the Euro at the same time.

President Papadopoulos and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat agreed on 8 July 2006, during a meeting in Nicosia in the presence of UN official Ibrahim Gambari, to begin a process of bicommunal discussions on issues that affect the day-to-day life of the people and concurrently those that concern substantive issues, both contributing to a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem.

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