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Sunday, 22 December 2024
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Cyprus PIO: News Update in English, 97-05-09Cyprus Press and Information Office: News Updates in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at <http://www.pio.gov.cy/>News UpdateFriday, 09/05/97CONTENTS
[01] Nicholas Burns: Albright intensely interested in finding solution to Cyprus problem"Secretary Albright will be very pleased to see the Cypriot foreign minister -Foreign Minister Kassoulides -- on June 6th," US State Department Spokesman Nicholas Burns said in his briefing to the press yesterday."They will discuss the current situation in Cyprus, the latest UN mediation efforts - which we strongly support. They will also discuss ways by which the United States can make a positive difference in resolving the problems of Cyprus,"Mr Burns added. Furthermore he said that" Secretary Albright is looking forward to this because she's intensely interested in the Eastern Mediterranean. She wants to do whatever we can to help Greece and Turkey reduce their tensions, and also to find a solution to the Cyprus problem. " The US State Department Spokesman also said that "when Secretary Albright was Ambassador Albright, she visited the Eastern Mediterranean, in July of 1996, and she put forward some proposals for reduced tensions between Greece and Turkey. We hope those and other proposals can be taken up." [02] Kassoulides:"Cyprus' air space should not be violated under any circumstances"Foreign Minister Ioannis Kassoulides said that Cyprus' air space should not be violated under any circumstances.Making statements to the press yesterday Dr Kassoulides said that he expressed the Cyprus government's concern over this issue during his meeting in Athens on 7 May with Carey Cavanaugh, Director of the Office of Southern European Affairs at the US State Department. Asked if Cavanaugh has secured assurances from Ankara that Cyprus' air space will not be violated, Kassoulides replied that "there are indications that our air space will not be violated by the Turkish air force." The Minister underlined Cyprus' concerns because it has the responsibility for the safety of air traffic in FIR (Flight Information Region) Nicosia and "therefore it wishes to be informed if the region is going to be used by other countries. [03] UN Under-Secretary General to push for direct talksSir Kieran Prendergast, UN Under-Secretary General, will be in Cyprus later in May as part of UN efforts to make headway in their bid to reach a negotiated settlement in the Cyprus question. This was announced by UN sources to the Cyprus News Agency in Nicosia yesterday."The visit is part of the UN effort to push for direct negotiations between the leaders of the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities in Cyprus," the same sources added. During his stay here, Sir Kieran will meet President Glafcos Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash, in an attempt to prepare the ground for face-to-face talks between the two men, the first in nearly three years. [04] Music for friendship in divided NicosiaPopular Greek and Turkish pop stars Sakis Ruvas and Burak Kut, will give a concert for "Friendship through Music in Cyprus" on May 19, in the UN- controlled buffer zone in Nicosia.The concert, organised by Art Management of Athens and Ahmet San Productions of Constantinople, is hosted by the United Nations Peace Keeping Force in Cyprus and it will be held in a football field next to Ledra Palace check point in Nicosia. The performance will be free of charge and 6000 tickets will be distributed to both sides of the division line by the UN, while the concert will be broadcast live by two TV channels in Greece and Turkey. [05] Sweden hopeful on Cyprus"The situation between Greece and Turkey, Cyprus, are the soft spots of security right now in Europe and if we ought to move ahead in the post cold war era and really make peace, then there has to be a solution," Swedish Deputy Foreign Minister, Jan Eliasson said yesterday after a meeting in Nicosia with President Glafcos Clerides.Furthermore, Mr Eliasson noted that a solution of the Cyprus problem will contribute towards efforts to achieve peace in the region. He referred to the UN efforts and expressed the hope that direct talks between the two sides for a settlement will be held. The Swedish official is in Cyprus for meetings in view of his country's presidency of the UN Security Council, in July, as well as Cyprus' prospect to join the European Union . Replying to a question about some EU members' efforts to involve Turkish Cypriots in the accession negotiations with Cyprus, Eliasson said this issue "has to be discussed within the EU in the coming half year." However, he said "we hope very much that we will find a formula that would make it possible for the Turkish Cypriots to take part in the negotiations, and this requires innovative, imaginative approaches by all concerned." The Swedish official also met Foreign Minister, Ioannis Kassoulides, and crossed into the Turkish-occupied part of the Republic, where he met Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktash. From the Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office (PIO) Server at http://www.pio.gov.cy/Cyprus Press and Information Office: News Updates in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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