Cyprus PIO: News Update in English, 01-01-24

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

Wednesday, 24 January 2001

CONTENTS

• [01] Cyprus Foreign Minister on an official visit to Spain
• [02] Council of Europe expresses concern over the abduction of Tziakourmas'

[01] Cyprus Foreign Minister on an official visit to Spain

Speaking at a press conference after the meeting, Mr Kasoulides said that he and Mr Pique had the opportunity to discuss Cyprus' EU accession and ways of promoting it during the upcoming EU Spanish Presidency.

Cyprus looks forward to cooperating with Spain, which will hold the Presidency of the EU in the first six months of the year 2002. This will be a crucial period of negotiations, in which the most difficult chapters will be negotiated, he said.

With its accession to the EU, Cyprus aspires to exploit its geographical position in the eastern part of the Mediterranean, to become a bridge between Europe and the Middle East, in the same way that Spain unites Europe with Latin America, he added.

Referring to the Cyprus problem, Mr Kasoulides said that the Cyprus Government would continue to do everything possible to find a solution to the Cyprus problem through the UN sponsored proximity talks before the next enlargement.

Concluding, Mr Kasoulides assured his Spanish counterpart that Cyprus would support Spain's candidacy for the UN Security Council for the years 2003- 2004. Moreover, it would cooperate with Spain in combating terrorism, organized crime as well as the illegal trafficking of persons.

For his part, the Spanish Foreign Minister expressed the hope that all chapters of the Cyprus-EU accession negotiations would close during the Spanish Presidency. He also expressed his country's support for the effortsto resolve the Cyprus problem and called on the Turkish Cypriot leader Mr Rauf Denktash to return to the proximity talks so that a solution might be achieved on the basis of the UN Security Council resolutions on Cyprus.

Relations between Spain and Cyprus in the economic field are good and are developing well, Mr Pique said, adding that the two countries will soon be signing an agreement on the mutual protection and promotion of investments.

During his visit to Spain Mr Kasoulides also met with King Juan Carlos, to whom he conveyed an invitation from President Glafcos Clerides to visit Cyprus. He also held talks with the President of the Spanish Senate Ms Esperanza Aguirre.

[02] Council of Europe expresses concern over the abduction of Tziakourmas'

Mr Tziakourmas, a building constructor, was abducted by Turks on December 13 last year, while he was waiting to pick up Turkish Cypriot workers in the British Base of Dhekelia.

Replying to questions on the case put forward by British Labour MP Tom Cox yesterday, Mr Schwimmer referred to information gathered by the British Sovereign Base Police indicating that Mr Tziakourmas was abducted within the region under their control. Mr Tziakourmas is illegally detained and the United Kingdom has requested his immediate release, he said.

Mr Schwimmer also said that he is deeply concerned about Mr Tziakourmas' condition for humanitarian reasons because he is a diabetic. He called on the persons responsible for his detention to respect the provisions of international law regarding the health and well being of people who are deprived of their freedom.

For his part, British MP Tom Cox referred to a reply on 16 January by the British Foreign Secretary to a question he had put forward, according to which Britain considers the Greek Cypriot's detention as very serious. He also underlined that the British Government does not doubt that Tsakourmas was abducted in the territory controlled by the British Bases and stressed that it will not accept such violations, especially from another Council of Europe member-state. Concluding, Mr Cox Cox demanded Tziakourmas' immediate release.

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

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