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Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 11-09-26
CONTENTS
[01] PRESIDENT - GREEK FM - NEW YORK CONTACTS
[02] ARCHBISHOP - OCCUPIED CHURCHES
[01] PRESIDENT - GREEK FM - NEW YORK CONTACTS
President Demetris Christofias has briefed Greek Prime Minister George
Papandreou on his contacts in New York in the framework of the UN
General Assembly. In a 35-minute telephone conversation with
Papandreou, Christofias briefed the Greek PM on his meeting with UN
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, his lunch with the Representatives of
the Permanent members of the UN Security Council, as well as the
separate meetings he has had with heads of state and government, whom
he briefed on the Cyprus problem and on Cyprus` exploratory drilling in
the Republics Exclusive Economic Zone.
Christofias and Papandreou also discussed the latest developments in
the Cyprus problem, as well as the Turkish threats over the exploratory
drilling in the Cypriot EEZ.
Turkey, whose troops occupy Cyprus northern part since they invaded in
1974, does not recognise the Republic of Cyprus. Following a decision
by Nicosia to begin natural gas and oil exploration in its exclusive
economic zone, Ankara has deployed warships in the Eastern
Mediterranean and has signed an illegal agreement with the Turkish
Cypriot regime in occupied Cyprus to delineate what it calls
continental shelf.
Drilling has already begun and is being carried out by Houston-based
Noble Energy, off Cyprus south-eastern coast.
[02] ARCHBISHOP - OCCUPIED CHURCHES
Archbishop of Cyprus Chrysostomos II has indicted Turkey for the
destruction of holy sites in the northern Turkish occupied areas of the
island, calling on the Patriarch of the Orthodox Church of Georgia,
Elias, to assist in any way possible and to exert pressure on the
matter in the international arena. The Archbishop, who paid an official
visit to the Orthodox Church of Georgia, at the invitation of Patriarch
Elias, was speaking at a concelebrating ceremony on Sunday in Georgias
capital, Tbilisi.
He said that more than 500 Orthodox churches and monasteries in the
occupied areas are in a miserable condition. Some of these churches and
monasteries have been destroyed, others have been transformed into
mosques, night clubs, army camps even stables. Our holy icons and other
religious items have been sold to Europe and America, he noted. He said
that the Church of Cyprus has been long demanding a permit from the
illegal Turkish Cypriot regime in order to repair these churches and
monasteries, however there has been no response so far.
The Archbishop also referred to the Cyprus problem, noting that Turkey
illegally invaded Cyprus in 1974, occupying 37% of the country, adding
that it wants to take over the occupied areas and the rest of Cyprus.
Turkey, he pointed out, is implementing ethnic cleansing tactics in
Cyprus, by driving away all Christian Orthodox from their homeland and
bringing Muslim settlers from Anatolia, changing the demographics of
the whole of Cyprus.
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