Cyprus PIO: News Update in English, 97-05-22

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From: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at <http://www.pio.gov.cy/>

News Update

Thursday, 22/05/97

CONTENTS

• [01] Government opposes new bikers' demonstration
• [02] Cyprus International State Fair opens
• [03] Council of Europe Rapporteur to prepare full report on Cyprus
• [04] Tourist agreement between Cyprus and Slovakia

[01] Government opposes new bikers' demonstration

Speaking after a meeting of the Council of Ministers, Foreign Minister Dr ˆ¦annis Kassoulides said: "The Motorcyclist's Federation has proved that it is not in a position to control the individuals who take part in these protests", referring to the violence which erupted on Monday night between protesters and police over the UN-sponsored bi-communal concert.

He added that this summer will be a time when we will need to concentrate our efforts on finding a peaceful solution to the Cyprus problem and it would therefore be unwise to allow events to take place that risk getting out of control and sending out the wrong messages.

He said any anti-occupation rallies should be postponed until a later date.

Mr Kassoulides said that Motorcyclist Federation president George Hadjicostas was summoned to the Foreign Ministry yesterday and informed of the government's opposition to their plan to have a chain of motorcycles stretching from Polis to Famagusta.

He warned that if the Federation went ahead with the demonstration, the police would receive strict orders to enforce law and order.

"The national issue should be left to the politicians", the Foreign Minister stressed.

[02] Cyprus International State Fair opens

Speaking at the opening of the 22nd annual State Fair, the President said that the island's "strategic location at the cross-roads of three continents", its excellent relations with the Middle East, the Balkans and Eastern Europe, its European course and its excellent infrastructure in human and material resources are assets that make it "a singular base for economic and business activity."

Making special reference to Cyprus' prospect of accession to the EU, President Clerides, stressed it "will create significant advantages for the economies of our friendly neighbouring countries."

The President said that while the Cyprus economy is basically healthy, adjustments, modernisation and restructuring in important sectors will have to be made and called for "caution and self-restraint."

Referring to the Cyprus problem and to the Secretary-general's possible call for direct talks in the next couple of months, Mr Clerides said that the Greek Cypriot side will accept an invitation from the UN Secretary- General to direct talks with the Turkish Cypriot side even though the latter has given no evidence of a shift from its intransigent positions and despite warnings as to the possible adverse consequences of a possible failure of such talks.

"We shall attend, once more, with goodwill as we are keen to reach a settlement the soonest possible", the President said.

"We shall also continue to maintain our position against holding protracted talks if there is no progress first on the basic aspects, the most important of which is the question of our future security," he added.

Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism, Kyriakos Christofi said that in 1996 Cyprus' total transactions reached approximately 2,5 billion Cyprus pounds.

"There was an increase of 12,5 percent, in comparison with 1995, due to a rise of both total imports and exports", he said.

In 1996 "total imports reached 1,86 billion Cyprus pounds, showing an 11,2 per cent increase compared with 1995, whereas total exports were about 650 million Cyprus pounds an increase of 16,8 per cent", Mr Christofi said.

He also said that re-exports showed a rapid increase, reaching 420 million Cyprus pounds, while exports of local products remained at 1996 levels.

Seventeen foreign countries, Greece, Britain, France, Germany, US, Japan, Spain, Israel, Egypt, Bulgaria, Italy, Belarus, Poland, Rumania, Slovakia, Syria and the Czech Republic are officially represented at the Fair, which will remain open until 1 June 1997.

[03] Council of Europe Rapporteur to prepare full report on Cyprus

Speaking to the press after a meeting with President Glafcos Clerides, yesterday, Mr Barsony said he will visit the enclaved Greek Cypriots living under Turkish occupation in the Karpass area on Friday and would propose ways the CoE could create better living conditions for Greek Cypriots enclaved in the Turkish-occupied Karpass peninsula.

Mr Barsony, who also met with the President of the House of Representatives Spyros Kyprianou, said he has a "special mandate" to prepare a report on the situation in Cyprus for the Political Committee of the CoE Parliamentary Assembly by January next year.

He said he would make a full evaluation of his visit to the island at the end of all his contacts here and after his visit to the occupied area.

He also expressed the view that the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe had an important role to play in the search for a solution to the Cyprus problem in collaboration with the UN Security Council.

"We are talking about the future of a possible federal state of the Republic of Cyprus", he said. "The details will become clear by the end of this year because our efforts will be exerted in parallel to those of the UN".

[04] Tourist agreement between Cyprus and Slovakia

From the Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office (PIO) Server at http://www.pio.gov.cy/

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