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Cyprus Government Spokesman Daily Briefing, 03-10-27
From: "HR-Net News Distribution Manager" <dist@hri.org>
Daily briefing of the Press by the Government Spokesman
27 October 2003
At the beginning of todays briefing of the press, the Government
Spokesman Mr Kypros Chrysostomides stated, inter alia, that President
Papadopoulos had an important meeting at the Presidential Palace with
Mr Wu Guanzheng, one of the nine members of the Standing Committee of
the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.
Mr Chrysostomides said there was a broad exchange of views on
international problems and on issues that were of concern to China such
as the issue of Taiwan and the Cyprus problem and particularly the
non recognition of the occupation regime. The Government Spokesman
added that China welcomed the fact that Cyprus would be a full EU
member on 1 May 2004 and that it expected that through Cyprus mediation
its relations with the EU would be reinforced. He also said that
President Papadopoulos and Mr Guanzheng discussed economic matters such
as the balance of trade between Cyprus and China as well as the
increase of tourist arrivals from China to Cyprus.
Invited to comment on Mr Westons interview in the «Turkish Daily News»
newspaper in which he stated that Turkey needed a strong indication
from the European Union that it would be given a date for accession
negotiations in December 2004 in order to take steps in the Cyprus
problem and that this indication could be given to Turkey as early as
now in the progress report of next November, the Spokesman replied that
Mr Westons position was well known, namely that the EU should take
steps towards Turkey so that the process of the solution to the Cyprus
problem would also be facilitated, adding, however, that this was a
request to the European Union.
Asked whether there was discussion in the EU of setting December 2004
from now as the date on which the definite date for the commencement of
accession negotiations with Turkey would be announced, Mr
Chrysostomides stated that there was not yet any official information
on the matter. He added, however, that he was certain Mr Weston must
have raised the matter before the European Union in Brussels.
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