Cyprus News Agency: News in English, 11-10-09

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

CONTENTS

[01] CHRISTOFIAS - CYPRUS ISSUE - CRUCIAL DEVELOPMENTS

[02] CHRISTOFIAS - TURKEY - PRESIDENCY

[03] FM - TURKEY - NATURAL RESOURCES

[04] MORPHOU - ANTI-OCCUPATION EVENT - RESOLUTION

[01] CHRISTOFIAS - CYPRUS ISSUE - CRUCIAL DEVELOPMENTS

Addressing Sunday the annual anti-occupation event organized by Morphou Municipality and organizations, the President said that Cyprus is facing crucial developments the first being the upcoming meeting the leaders of the two communities will hold with UN Secretary General in New York in October.

Cyprus and the Cypriot people are at a crucial crossroads, President Demetris Christofias said adding that the next few months will possibly determined their future in the years to follow.

Turkey, he said, threatens and provokes having as a purpose to stop our efforts to exploit any possible natural gas and oil reserves, noting that possible findings and exploitation of hydrocarbons will create significant economic and political prospective for the country.

``We must face challenges in economy. To face the unprecedented world economic crisis and its effects on Cyprus and to face structural problems piled up for decades``, he added.

President Christofias also said that in order to face all these, unity and political stability is needed.

``Unity and political stability involves all of us, the President, the political parties and the society at large. A possible undermining of the political stability and unity will have significant negative affects on Cyprus, on our people and on each citizen separately he said, reassuring that on his part he will do all he can to secure political stability, the constitutional order and unity``.

Referring to the Cyprus issue, President Christofias said that the fact we have not yet reached the longed solution is due to the extreme demands of the Turkish Cypriot side.

He said that recently, the Turkish Cypriot side abrogates agreement reached in substantial aspects of the problem and called on the United Nation and the international community to bring Turkey and the Turkish side into order.

President Christofias said that there could be no solution to the Cyprus problem without the return of occupied areas of Morphou and Famagusta under Greek Cypriot administration.

Regarding the exploitation of any possible natural gas and oil reserves in Cyprus Exclusive Economic Zone, he said that the sovereign rights of the Republic of Cyprus, as provided by the international law and the UN Convention of the Law of the Sea in particular, are non-negotiable.

``The exploration will continue despite the provocations and the tension caused by Turkey. We cannot accept that there is connection between the negotiations and the exploration for energy resources``, he clarified.

Possible finding and exploitation of hydrocarbons will be a strong motive for the solution of the Cyprus problem, he said, adding that at the same time such a development will create excellent prospects for the economy of our country and its people.

Cyprus was divided in 1974 when Turkey invaded the island occupying 37% of its territory. UN led talks have been ongoing since 2008 between the leaders of the two communities with a view to reunite the island under a federal roof.

Turkey 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 puppet regime in occupied Cyprus to delineate what it calls continental shelf.

Houston-based Noble Energy, whose drilling rig is already in place, off the islands southern coast, has begun drilling in Cyprus EEZ. The company has a concession to explore for hydrocarbons in an offshore field, south of Cyprus, known as Block 12.

The government of Cyprus has protested to the UN and the EU Turkeys moves, saying it has a sovereign right to exploit its natural resources, pointing out that Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots will benefit from any benefits that may come from oil drilling.

[02] CHRISTOFIAS - TURKEY - PRESIDENCY

Speaking during the annual anti-occupation event organized by Morphou Municipality and organizations, President Christofias referring to the Turkish reactions regarding the Cyprus EU Presidency he sent a message to Turkish Prime Minister Tayip Erdogan and to Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davudoglou that whether they like or not Cyprus will assume the EU Presidency.

``I want to say to Mr. Erdogan and to Mr. Davutoglou and to all the rest that Cyprus will assume the EU Presidency whether they want it or not``, the President said.

[03] FM - TURKEY - NATURAL RESOURCES

Marcullis, who was addressing a round table discussion organized Saturday by the Green Party of Cyprus entitled Peace Protection and Utilisation of natural resources in the Eastern Mediterranean, referred to the commencement of drilling activities by Cyprus in the southern part of its Exclusive Economic Zone, noting that the sector of hydrocarbons is a new challenge for the Republic of Cyprus.

The indications for the existence of hydrocarbons are very positive and promising, she said.

The Minister made a special reference to the fact that the Republic of Cyprus is a state-party to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1982, which primarily constitutes a codification of International Customary Law. The Republic, she added, has exercised its legitimate sovereign rights and delimited its Exclusive Economic Zone with the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Republic of Lebanon and the State of Israel in accordance with the relevant established principles the respective provisions of the above Convention.

[04] MORPHOU - ANTI-OCCUPATION EVENT - RESOLUTION

In their resolution, the citizens of Morphou note that ``we believe that the United Nations and the European Union must exert pressure upon Turkey to change its attitude and work towards a just solution to the Cyprus problem and the restoration of the basic Human Rights of all Cypriots``.

``Cyprus should remain an independent, single state with a single sovereignty and an international personality and territorial integrity. The solution must not give any country the right to intervene in the internal affairs of the state. Cyprus should not be a hostage of Turkey or other foreign interests``, they say.

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