[02] Bill Bradley pledges to make resolution of the Cyprus problem a "high
priority
The Ministry of Communications and Works issued a statement last Friday
rejecting allegations by the Turkish news agency Anatolia, that an
aeroplane of the German airlines "Lufthansa", following damage to a tyre
and subsequent damage to its hydraulics system upon take off from Larnaca,
had to fly to Istanbul as the technical equipment at Larnaca airport was
inadequate.
"The report is inaccurate. According to a statement issued by Lufthansa it
was decided that the aircraft 'be diverted' to Istanbul as the closest
international airport where passengers could get easy connections to their
final destinations", the Ministry's statement said.
It also underlined that Larnaca International airport is totally adequate
to meet any emergency or forced landing.
United States Democratic Presidential candidate Bill Bradley pledged to
make the resolution of the Cyprus problem a "high priority" for his
administration and said that any settlement should be in line with the
fundamental democratic principles and UN resolutions, leading to the
withdrawal of Turkish occupation troops.
"The island's unnatural division now more than a quarter of a century old,
is intolerable both as a gross human rights violation and a major security
risk for American interests in the Mediterranean," he said in a written
reply to a questionnaire by the American Hellenic Institute, on 17
February.
Mr Bradley pledged to work with the governments of Cyprus, Greece and
Turkey to facilitate negotiations to produce a solution acceptable to both
communities. "Such a solution should be consistent with fundamental
democratic principles and UN resolutions and lead to the withdrawal of
Turkish occupation troops", he said.
"It should also deal with the many painful issues outstanding since 1974
such as missing persons and other legal and human rights matters that will
embitter intercommunal relations until they are adequately addressed", he
added.
From the Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office (PIO) Server at http://www.pio.gov.cy/