Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 08-03-26

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

CONTENTS

[01] UN MOLLER LEDRA STREET

[02] RUSSIA CYPRUS TALKS

[03] PACE CYPRUS

[04] DANISH FM WORKING VISIT

[01] UN MOLLER LEDRA STREET

The UN also announced that UNFICYP will begin the demilitarisation of Ledra street, one of the capitals main commercial streets, on Wednesday.

Asked by CNA whether there are any announcements for the replacement of Moller and which date UN Under-Secretary-General Lynn Pasoe will visit Cyprus, UN spokesperson Michele Montas said that Elizabeth Spehar will serve as an interim head of the mission in Cyprus.

She also said she did not have a date yet for Pascoes visit to Cyprus.

Invited to comment on press reports that UNFICYP members were prohibited by the Turkish army to move in Ledra Street to start preparing the opening of the crossing, Montas said she could not cannot confirm any alleged Turkish army obstruction.

In a written statement later, Montas said that there were some technical questions that needed to be worked out regarding the Ledra street crossing -- those issues have now been resolved and an UNFICYP-supported demining team is set to go tomorrow (Wednesday) to ensure that the area of the future Ledra Street crossing is free of explosives.

Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third.

At a meeting on March 21, the leaders of the two communities, namely President of the Republic of Cyprus Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat, agreed that Ledra Street should, as soon as technically possible, open and function in accordance with the established practices at other crossings which facilitate movement of people to and from the islands northern Turkish occupied areas.

[02] RUSSIA CYPRUS TALKS

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Mikhail Kamynin, answering questions, has said we believe that the meeting is a step towards progress in the process to find a just solution to the Cyprus problem in the interest of the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot communities.

He also said that the Russian Foreign Ministry hopes that both sides will be successful in their effort to resume an overall negotiating process, under UN auspices, in order to achieve a common and viable solution in Cyprus, based on the relevant Security Council resolutions and the existing bicommunal agreements, including what was agreed on July 8 2006, achieved with the mediation of UN Undersecretary for Political Affairs Ibrahim Gambari.

[03] PACE CYPRUS

Lluis Maria de Puig, welcoming the announcement by Cypriot President Demetris Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat to resume talks on the reunification of the island, pledged that PACE will support UN negotiations to achieve an overall settlement.

PACE President commended the announced re-opening of a crossing point to and from the islands northern Turkish occupied areas at Ledra street as highly symbolic.

[04] DANISH FM WORKING VISIT

On Thursday, Moller will have a meeting and talks with his Cypriot counterpart Markos Kyprianou and after statements to the press, he will be received by President of the Republic Demetris Christofias.

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