Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 10-11-10

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

CONTENTS

[01] PRESIDENT SLOVAKIA VISIT

[02] HOUSE PRESIDENT UKRAINE OFFICIAL VISIT

[03] MFA ECs REPORT TURKEY

[04] FUELE TURKEY CUSTOMS UNION

[01] PRESIDENT SLOVAKIA VISIT

President Christofias is heading a delegation comprising Minister of Foreign Affairs Markos Kyprianou, the Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Antonis Paschalides, Government Spokesman Stephanos Stephanou and government officials.

According to an official announcement issued here today, President Christofias and the Cypriot delegation will arrive tonight in Slovakia via Vienna and will be unofficially welcomed at the borders of Austria-Slovakia, Jarovce Kittsee.

During his visit in Bratislava, President Christofias will be received by his Slovak counterpart Ivan Gasparovic, with whom he will have talks.

He is also due to meet Slovak Prime Minister Iveta Radicova and President of the Slovak Parliament Richard Sulik.

The President will address the Cyprus - Slovakia Business Forum, after which he will inaugurate the Cyprus embassy in Bratislava and will attend an official dinner given in his honour by the Slovak President.

President Christofias and the Cypriot delegation are due to return to Cyprus on November 12th.

[02] HOUSE PRESIDENT UKRAINE OFFICIAL VISIT

Garoyian held a meeting Wednesday afternoon with the Prime Minister of Ukraine Mykola Azarov and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Kostyantyn Gryhchenko, and had the opportunity to discuss the Cyprus issue and bilateral relations.

The House President stated after his meetings that ``there is the will on the part of Ukraine to upgrade political, financial and cultural relations with the Republic of Cyprus``.

He added that during his meetings he had the opportunity to exchange views on concrete ways to further enhance these relations and said that both sides agreed on a more systematic contact, so as to promote their common goals.

[03] MFA ECs REPORT TURKEY

In a press release issued Wednesday on the European Commissions progress report and its Strategy Paper on the Enlargement, the Foreign Ministry of Cyprus deems as objective and of great importance the opinion of the Commission that Turkeys substantive and in concrete terms commitment towards a functional solution of the Cyprus problem is of crucial importance. However, the Foreign Ministry expresses its objection towards the Commissions claim that Turkey continues to publicly express its support towards the Cyprus talks.

The Foreign Ministry stresses that Turkeys stance towards the ongoing Cyprus negotiations is contrary to its EU obligations for a substantive support of the efforts to reach a solution in Cyprus based on the relevant UN resolutions and the EU principles.

It also points out that what is of importance is not the Turkish public declarations but the substance of the statements of the Turkish officials, which, until today, contravene the agreed basis for a solution of the Cyprus problem``.

[04] FUELE TURKEY CUSTOMS UNION

Presenting the annual reports produced to assess progress in European Union membership candidate and potential candidate countries, and replying to a question, Fuele said that the rhythm of the EU accession negotiations is not satisfactory. Fuele called on Turkey to implement the Customs Union Protocol without any discrimination, in order the momentum of the negotiations not to be lost.

Fuele did not give any kind of guarantee that new EU Turkey negotiation chapters will be opened. However, he noted that every kind of progress will accelerate the process.

Finally, he reassured that the European Commission fully supports the ongoing direct negotiation process between the leaders of the two communities in Cyprus, aimed at finding a solution in the Cyprus problem.

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