Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 09-02-08

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

CONTENTS

[01] PRESIDENT CHRISTOFIAS - UN COMMITTEE - SHIP

[02] BRITISH MINISTER - CYPRUS VISIT

[01] PRESIDENT CHRISTOFIAS - UN COMMITTEE - SHIP

The Committee is clear, the President said.

Asked whether the Committee decision is final, the President replied I believe that it is final and we do not need to refer to the Committee again.

I was not expecting them to give us instructions. We are a member state of the UN, a country with sovereign rights and I believe that the UNSC is treating us in a correct manner, he added.

Asked why the ship must be controlled again, the Cypriot President said that if the government of Cyprus decides to keep the cargo, it has to know in full detail its contents.

The Cypriot President also said that soon he would announce his decisions regarding the reply of the UN Committee on Cyprus request for guidance.

The Committees reply was handed over last night to Cyprus UN Permanent Representative Ambassador Minas Hadjimichael by Japanese chairman of the Committee Ambassador Yukio Takasu.

It has been alleged that the Cypriot-flagged ship, of Russian interests, which originated from Iran, was carrying arms and it was forced by a US military vessel to dock at Limassol port to have its cargo inspected, in order to establish whether there has been a breach of UN Security Council sanctions, as claimed.

The Cyprus government has submitted to the UN Security Council Sanctions Committee a report on the findings of two inspections of the cargo of the ship, conducted on January 29 and February 2 by a team of experts from the Republic of Cyprus.

The Japanese presidency of the Sanctions Committee examined the report on the findings of the inspections of the cargo of ship and handed over its response.

A member of the UN Security Council has said that the contents of the UN Committees reply remains confidential.

[02] BRITISH MINISTER - CYPRUS VISIT

She will be received by Cyprus President Demetris Christofias and meet government officials and politicians during her visit from February 8-11.

Flint will visit Cyprus to attend the annual meeting of the heads of UK diplomatic missions in Athens, Ankara and Nicosia.

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