Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 11-02-08

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

CONTENTS

[01] GAROYIAN CYPRUS ISSUE

[02] ELDERS CYPRUS VISIT

[01] GAROYIAN CYPRUS ISSUE

At the same time, he added, Ankara is preparing and implementing a plan B to upgrade the so called state in the Turkish occupied north of Cyprus, through the Islamic Conference and by promoting the implementation of direct trade.

Turkey is strong but not immune, he told a gathering of the Greek Cypriot Brotherhood of north London. There is a reaction to Turkeys arrogance and Cyprus and Greece have support from the European Union, where both countries are full member states and can expand their alliances.

We can make itWe should not fall into the trap of concessions due to weakness against a powerful Turkey, he said, adding a federal solution is the ultimate compromise. There is no more room for further concessions. We did not achieve the Republic of Cyprus only to hand it over, he remarked.

Garoyian expressed satisfaction over his contacts in London, noting that Minister of State responsible for European issues David Lidington has exhibited interest over Cyprus stronger position as a result of the hydrocarbon reserves in Cyprus Exclusive Economic Zone.

He also said that British Shadow European Minister Dayne David, who will visit Cyprus soon, was also interested in the various aspects of the Cyprus problem as well as Parliament leader John Bercow.

[02] ELDERS CYPRUS VISIT

A delegation of the Elders, comprising Archbishop Desmond Tutu and former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland held a meeting with President of the Republic of Cyprus Demetris Christofias. They are paying a visit to Cyprus to attend the launch of the film Cyprus: Digging the past in search of the future, in which two young Greek Cypriots and two young Turkish Cypriots demonstrating the common humanity.

Speaking after the meeting, Archbishop Tutu said that this is our fourth visit to the island demonstrating a commitment on the part of the Elders to the people of Cyprus, our commitment to encourage the possibilities of a settlement taking place here.

The two leaders seem to indicate that there is a commitment on the part of their communities to find a settlement, he said noting that they are not as upbeat as they were one and a half years ago.

We want to continue to encourage the leadership of the two communities please find one another. We want to continue to encourage them and say that there have been in so many parts of the world intractable, what were regarded as intractable, problems which have been resolved, he added.

Archbishop Tutu referred to the examples of Northern Ireland and South Africa, expressing the conviction that it is possible for Cyprus to be a Federal Republic of Cyprus with two communities enjoying complete rights of citizenship. And those young people show that it is possible to have friends and say we are Cypriots, he concluded.

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