Cyprus PIO: News Update in English, 99-06-04

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

Friday, 4 June 1999

CONTENTS

• [01] President Clinton submits to Congress bimonthly report on Cyprus
• [02] Turkey refuses to comply with European Court of Human Rights judgement
• [03] Kasoulides: exhumation process may end the drama of the families of missing
• [04] Cyprus and Moldova sign air transport agreement

[01] President Clinton submits to Congress bimonthly report on Cyprus

In his covering letter President Clinton notes that the US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright "underscored the US commitment to finding a comprehensive solution to Cypriot Foreign Minister Kasoulides during their February 17 meeting in Washington" and that Special Cyprus Co-ordinator Thomas J. Miller and US Ambassador to Cyprus Kenneth Brill also worked actively to promote a negotiated solution.

[02] Turkey refuses to comply with European Court of Human Rights judgement

In a document sent to the Representatives of the member countries of the Council of Europe with the exclusion of Greece and Cyprus , Turkey claims that the judgement has no legal basis.

Referring to the document, Cyprus Attorney General Mr Alecos Markides said that the Committee of Ministers has a duty to execute the Court's judgement. He pointed out that by this action "Turkey is in reality against Europe 's public order and its behaviour cannot be tolerated".

"This document is actually against Turkey as it is a provocation to the system" he said, adding that the basis of the system is the respect for the judgement of the European Court of Human Rights . "Without the respect of the member states the system collapses," he said.

[03] Kasoulides: exhumation process may end the drama of the families of missing

Speaking at a press conference Mr Kasoulides pointed out that the purpose of the process of exhumation, which is now underway, is "primarily to deal with a very grave humanitarian issue which can be solved by us and which concerns a number of families who have the right to be informed about the fate of their loved ones."

"The government will never accept a Turkish demand to agree that all persons missing since the invasion are dead", he said and stressed that the list of persons missing since the 1974 Turkish invasion of Cyprus does not include anybody who was killed during the July 1974 military coup.

Mr Kasoulides expressed the hope that the exhumation process would convey the message to the international community and the Turkish side that such a process can be carried out in accordance with the provisions of the July 31 Agreement of 1997, which calls on the Greek and Turkish Cypriot sides to exchange information on the location of graves and return the remains of persons known to have been killed in action to their families.

[04] Cyprus and Moldova sign air transport agreement

The agreement was initialed, by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Communications and Works , Mr Vasos Pyrgos on behalf of the Cyprus Republic and, by General Director of Civil Aviation Mr Octavian Lungu on behalf of Moldova.

This is the first bilateral agreement Moldova initials with Cyprus and it is expected to improve air links between the two countries.

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

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