Cyprus PIO: News Update in English, 98-04-27

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

News Update

Monday, 27/04/98

CONTENTS

• [01] President Clerides returns from Athens
• [02] US urges both sides in Cyprus not to miss Holbrooke visit as an important opportunity
• [03] Israel would like to enhance ties with Cyprus
• [04] EU-Cyprus Joint Parliamentary Committee meeting ends
• [05] Demou takes over National Guard
• [06] Cyprus protests to UN over new Turkish airspace violations
• [07] UN Secretary General's Report on human rights in Cyprus
• [08] Declaration on Cyprus at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

[01] President Clerides returns from Athens

The President told Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation in Athens that US State Department Special Co-ordinator for Cyprus, Tom Miller, briefed him on his contacts in the Greek and Turkish capitals. The two men met at Athens airport as President Clerides was arriving and Mr Miller was leaving.

Asked if Miller is bringing something different and more optimistic, the Cypriot President was quoted as saying "a lot more than I would have expected."

No statements were made after the Clerides-Simitis meeting on Friday evening. It is believed the two men discussed the upcoming visit to the island by US Presidential Emissary for Cyprus, Richard Holbrooke.

Holbrooke is expected to come to Nicosia at the end of this week in a bid to break the deadlock in the Cyprus problem and to help peace talks resume.

President Clerides returned to Cyprus yesterday.

[02] US urges both sides in Cyprus not to miss Holbrooke visit as an important opportunity

During his daily briefing on 24.4.98 Mr Rubin said "Ambassador Holbrooke will be bringing to bear his extraordinary diplomatic expertise on this problem in a visit to Cyprus next week, I believe towards the end of the week."

He added that Mr Holbrooke will be staying in Cyprus "for several days. He will be discussing with relevant officials ways to bring peace to this troubled region."

Mr Rubin did not give any details of the visit saying that the US "do not believe it is helpful for Ambassador Holbrooke's work to describe in detail any of the discussions he needs to have with the relevant officials."

However, Mr Rubin stressed: "What we can say is we hope that both sides see this as an important opportunity to meet with what we all know to be a very able diplomat who's going to constructively look at ways to resolve the problems, and not miss this opportunity."

Meanwhile, in Nicosia, Government Spokesman Christos Stylianides said during his daily briefing last Friday that the government considers the visit to Cyprus by Mr Holbrooke "important" and expects to hear "formal proposals" about efforts to resume the intercommunal talks.

He added that the government "is pleased that there is such an initiative by the international community and the US, which can exert some influence on the Turkish side."

[03] Israel would like to enhance ties with Cyprus

No statements were made after the meeting at the Foreign Ministry in Nicosia.

Speaking at a press conference later at the close of his talks with the Cyprus government, the Israeli official said he discussed a large variety of bilateral issues and noted the wide spectrum of co-operation in all walks of life between Cyprus and Israel.

Mr Bentsur said that Israel does not rule out the possibility of making a deal with Cyprus along the same lines as the defence co-operation agreement it has with Turkey.

He also said Israel would like to enhance ties with Cyprus in all respects and wants Cyprus to continue playing the role it has assumed in terms of facilitating the Middle East peace process.

Bentsur reiterated that his country's agreement with Turkey is in no way affecting Cyprus but aims at enhancing relations with Turkey.

[04] EU-Cyprus Joint Parliamentary Committee meeting ends

A press release issued at the conclusion of the two-day meeting welcomes President Glafcos Clerides' proposal for Turkish Cypriot participation in the Republic's negotiating team and regrets "the negative position of the Turkish side", criticising the Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktash, for following policies "creating additional obstacles to intercommunal contacts".

Concern is also expressed "about the construction of the nuclear plan in Mersin, Turkey, located in a seismic area lacking safeguard measures for final storage of waste and without guarantees for non military use".

Speaking at a press conference, the committee's co-chairman, Philippe Monfils said he was "very pleased with the amount and quality of work done" during the meeting and pointed out that the committee's work will change, operating on a lower profile.

[05] Demou takes over National Guard

Demou replaced Lieutenant-General Nicolaos Vorvolakos, who served in Cyprus for the last four years.

[06] Cyprus protests to UN over new Turkish airspace violations

In a letter to the UN Secretary General from Cyprus' Permanent Representative to the UN, dated 21 April, Ambassador Sotiris Zackheos protests against these new violations of the Republic's national airspace and indicates that they are "in complete disregard of the Charter of the United Nations, the relevant decisions of the Organisation on the question of Cyprus and international civil aviation regulations".

The letter circulated on 24.4.98 as a document of the UN General Assembly and the Security Council.

[07] UN Secretary General's Report on human rights in Cyprus

The report inter alia says that in its most recent resolution on this subject (1987/50), the Commission reiterated its previous calls for the full restoration of all human rights to the population of Cyprus, in particular to the refugees.

The UN Secretary General stresses that since assuming office in January 1997 he has underlined to leaders of the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot communities the importance of finding an early settlement of the Cyprus problem and he refers to his efforts in his good offices mission since then.

"In order to avoid a perpetuation of the preceding inconclusive dialogues, I believe that there is a need for new approaches and procedures", Mr Annan says. "Inasmuch as the elements needed to work out a settlement are at hand, I believe that a sustained process of direct negotiations leading to the conclusion of instruments that will constitute a comprehensive settlement is the most appropriate course of action", the UN Secretary General adds in his report.

He refers to the efforts of a number of Governments, as well as the Commonwealth and the EU Presidency and the appointment of special envoys on Cyprus and says that "the active, firm and full support of all concerned, and particularly that of the Council, is indispensable if current efforts are to bring results".

Mr Annan refers to the Troutbeck and Glion round of talks as well as to his Special Adviser's (Mr Diego Cordovez) contacts with all concerned.

Pending a settlement, Mr Annan adds, the United Nations Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) has continued, under its mandate, to discharge humanitarian functions on behalf of the Greek Cypriots living in the northern part of the island, and has continued its periodic visits to Turkish Cypriots living in the southern part of the island and assisted in arranging family reunion visits for Turkish Cypriots.

UNFICYP also continued its efforts to encourage contact and co-operation between the two communities and to building trust through actively promoting bicommunal events and activities. In this regard, UNFICYP worked closely with diplomatic missions in Cyprus. A significant number of bicommunal events were convened during 1997 organised by the United Nations, embassies of several interested Governments and non-governmental organisations, Mr Annan notes in his report.

He adds that "throughout 1997, the Turkish Cypriot authorities continued to insist that attendance by Turkish Cypriots at bicommunal events requires specific authorisation in each case. For most of the year, such authorisation was usually granted for events in the United Nations Buffer Zone... However, on 15 December following the European Union's Luxembourg Summit announcement that Turkey was not included in the list of countries being considered for accession, Turkish Cypriot authorities froze all bicommunal activities in Cyprus".

Mr Annan also refers to the meetings of the leaders of the two communities with the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General on 28 and 31 July 1997 on a number of humanitarian issues of common concern and to the statement issued on 31 July by which the two leaders considered the problem of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot missing persons in Cyprus as a purely humanitarian issue, the solution of which was long overdue.

The UN Secretary General notes in his report that "many of the restrictions on Greek Cypriots and Maronites living in the northern part of Cyprus that were noted in UNFICYP's 1995 Humanitarian Review remain. For example, travel within the northern part of Cyprus remains restricted for Greek Cypriots and they still cannot bequeath fixed property to their next of kin living outside of the northern part of Cyprus". He also refers to the recent (February 1998) "procedures and regulations for entry to and exit from the north. For Greek Cypriots and Greeks who wish to enter or depart, passports or identity documents are now required with a visa for which a fee of 15 pounds sterling is required".

Mention is also made to UNFICYP's monitor of the status quo in the fenced area of Varosha. "Some buildings continue to be occupied by students. There were again cases of property being removed from buildings; UNFICYP protested these to the Turkish Forces. The United Nations holds the Government of Turkey responsible for the maintenance of the status quo in the fenced area of Varosha", Mr Annan adds.

Moreover, UNFICYP's movement in the northern part of the island continued to be restricted, notably in the Kormakiti area where United Nations personnel were refused access to certain areas and restricted in carrying out humanitarian tasks", it is added in the report.

"During the period under review, the Government of Cyprus protested that churches and other religious property in the northern part of Cyprus had been allowed to decay and that some had been vandalised and property had been removed. There is also concern about damage to graveyards. UNFICYP pursued the matter with the Turkish Cypriot authorities", Mr Annan notes in his report.

[08] Declaration on Cyprus at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

The declaration welcomes the decision of the European Union to commence negotiations for the accession of Cyprus to full membership of the Union;

Applauds the generous offer of President Clerides of Cyprus of representation for the Turkish Cypriot Community in the negotiations, and

Urges Mr Denktash to respond positively to ensure that the interests of the Turkish Cypriot community are represented in the negotiations.

The declaration was circulated at the initiative of British MP's Tom Cox and O'Hara and was signed by 24 members of Assembly.

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

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