Cyprus PIO: News Update in English, 97-10-07

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

News Update

Tuesday, 07/10/97

CONTENTS

• [01] President Clerides addresses UN General Assembly
• [02] Annan and Clerides discuss Cyprus problem
• [03] Holbrooke meets with Clerides
• [04] Clerides hosts lunch for Permanent Five
• [05] Kasoulides addresses EU-Cyprus Joint Parliamentary Committee

[01] President Clerides addresses UN General Assembly

Addressing the UN General Assembly, President Clerides said he shared the disappointment of the Security Council for the absence of progress in that direction, for which the inflexibility of the Turkish side is evidently to blame.

Referring to his pledge last year to do all he can to help the UN Secretary- General, the President added: "I believe we have honoured our pledge to the full and I wish to reiterate our commitment to continue our constructive attitude, despite our disappointment."

He made it abundantly clear that Cyprus cannot and will not relinquish its inalienable right to defend itself but also pledged to continue to be constructive in efforts for a peaceful settlement.

The President said the peace process is the "only means of solving" the Cyprus question and denounced Turkish threats to annex the part of Cyprus it occupied for the past 23 years.

However, he expressed his firm resolve to secure the country's defences and take decisions on its armament programmes.

"I wish to make it abundantly clear that we cannot and will not relinquish our inalienable right to defend our country and decide about our armaments," he stressed.

As long as the Turkish threat emanating from the continued aggression and occupation of 37 per cent of the territory of the Republic exists, "we have not only the right but also the duty to provide for the security of the people of Cyprus," he said.

He reiterated his proposal for a joint declaration with the Turkish Cypriot leader denouncing the use of force as a means of solving the Cyprus problem and invited the international community to turn its attention to the Turkish side "to persuade it to abandon its intransigent position."

[02] Annan and Clerides discuss Cyprus problem

In statements to the press afterwards, President Clerides said they had had an in-depth exchange of views on the present situation of the Cyprus problem, the prospects of future developments and negotiations and that they had established a good identity of views on all these issues.

"We examined all the possibilities between now and the presidential elections in Cyprus in February", he said.

He said they had also discussed the question of the missing persons as regards the effort of the Secretary-General to appoint the third member of the Committee of the Missing Persons, as he and Turkish Cypriot leader Mr Denktash had requested, as well as his suggestion to appoint experienced investigators to help expedite the solution of the problem.

He also said they had discussed the possibility of a visit to Nicosia by the Secretary-General's Special Advisor on the Cyprus problem, Diego Cordovez, but that Cordovez himself would decide when the visit would take place.

[03] Holbrooke meets with Clerides

Speaking after a meeting with President Clerides yesterday, he added that he hoped these talks would resume in the future and looked forward to meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader in Washington in three weeks time.

"We had a very good talk with President Clerides as always. We just reviewed the situation", Mr Holbrooke said.

Asked if he was now more optimistic about the Cyprus issue following a series of meetings he has had lately, Mr Holbrooke replied that he was always optimistic and that he was just here to help.

Mr Holbrooke added that he would be giving a breakfast in President Clerides' honour today, for him and other members of the Cyprus government to talk about the economic situation in Cyprus to a group of prominent American businessmen.

Cyprus' Finance Minister Christodoulos Christodoulou and the Governor of the Central Bank, Afxentis Afxentiou, left Cyprus yesterday for New York in order to attend the meeting.

He also referred to a private conference due to be held in Brussels in November, not for government officials but for businessmen from Athens, Nicosia and Ankara, to talk about economic relations, which he would be attending.

"Economic relations are mutually beneficial", he said. "People need to work together. A rising tide can lift all ships, and the people in the region, Greek and Turk alike, should think very hard about ways they can improve their situation on mutual economic benefits".

[04] Clerides hosts lunch for Permanent Five

During the luncheon, President Clerides briefed those present on the latest developments in the Cyprus problem after the Troutbeck and Glion talks and specifically on the Turkish side's negative stance. Views were exchanged as to what course of action should be followed between now and the presidential elections in Cyprus in February and afterwards.

The luncheon was attended by the Permanent Representatives of Britain, Russia, China and France, Sir John Weston, Sergey Lavrov, Qin Huasun and Alain Dejammet, the Acting Permanent Representative of the US, A. Peter Burleigh, the UN Secretary-General's Special Advisor on the Cyprus problem, Diego Cordovez, and the UN Under-Secretary for Political Affairs Sir Kieran Prendergast.

[05] Kasoulides addresses EU-Cyprus Joint Parliamentary Committee

Addressing the 12th Session of the EU-Cyprus Joint Parliamentary Committee in Brussels, Mr Kasoulides said that the catalytic effect of Cyprus' course towards joining the EU on efforts towards finding a solution to the Cyprus problem are already being felt.

"Agenda 2000", he said, has made it clear to Turkey that entry negotiations between the EU and Cyprus will go ahead in April next year.

"Sooner or later Turkey will have to adapt her policy to take into account this reality for the benefit of both Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots", he added. "For the time being Turkey is following a stance of blackmail, as evidenced by the Turkish Cypriot leader Mr Denktash's negative stance".

Mr Kasoulides called for further collective efforts to help Turkey understand that a settlement in Cyprus prior to EU enlargement would benefit Turkey itself.

Kasoulides warned that any deviation from previous agreements relating to Cyprus would furnish Turkey with an incentive to continue its blackmailing tactics and persist with its inflexible stance.

Turkey and the Turkish Cypriot side have warned they would not negotiate for a settlement in Cyprus if the EU starts accession talks, as scheduled, next year.

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

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