Cyprus PIO: News Update in English, 02-11-08

Cyprus Press and Information Office: News Updates in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

Friday, 8 November 2002

CONTENTS

• [01] President Clerides: UN Chief will decide this week on solution plan
• [02] Boucher: Washington active in supporting a solution in Cyprus
• [03] Agriculture Minister addresses ministerial meeting of EU candidate states
• [04] FM Permanent Secretary calls for implementation of CoE decisions

[01] President Clerides: UN Chief will decide this week on solution plan

Asked whether the solution plan would be handed to him by Mr. Annan's Special Adviser on Cyprus, Mr. Alvaro de Soto, President Clerides said that he had no information about that.

On the outcome of the Turkish elections, the President noted that it was too early to assess what the Turkish government policy on Cyprus would be.

[02] Boucher: Washington active in supporting a solution in Cyprus

"We've been active in this period in supporting the UN efforts with the Secretary-General and with the parties. And so yes, we are continuing to try to move this forward in support of the UN efforts", Mr. Boucher said during the regular press briefing at the State Department yesterday.

Asked whether the US had urged the Secretary-General to put forward a solution plan at this time, the US official said that he would not discuss specifics of the encounters with Mr. Annan, in public. He said however that the US had been "pushing hard all year long" for a solution.

"There was a moment in June when we looked for it, to see if an agreement couldn't be reached, and we continue to believe that we're at a time when the parties need to make decisions to bring an agreement together", he added.

Invited to say whether the visit to Greece of the US Assistant Secretary of State, Mr. Marc Grossman, had any connection to the escalating pressures regarding the Cyprus problem, Mr. Boucher replied that Cyprus was one of the issues to be discussed during the course of Mr. Grossman's trip to Athens, but he did not know exactly how the Assistant Secretary would "phrase things on particular issues that might be involved".

[03] Agriculture Minister addresses ministerial meeting of EU candidate states

In his speech, Mr. Themistocleous outlined, inter alia, the need to come up with the necessary reforms, in a collaborative spirit, so that the chapter of agriculture would not become an obstacle to the enlargement process.

The Minister reiterated Cyprus' readiness to implement fully the EU acquis on agriculture, emphasising, at the same time, the need to support the local agriculture through community financial aid.

[04] FM Permanent Secretary calls for implementation of CoE decisions

Mr. Pashiardes made special reference to the issue of implementing decisions of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), and particularly, the decision of the ECHR on the Titina Loizidou case.

"Turkey's refusal to implement the Court's decision, along with the tolerance shown to this provocative stance of a member state", he noted, "undermines the Court's effectiveness and creates a very bad precedent that harms the status of the Council of Europe".

"There is an urging need", Mr. Pashiardes added, "to abandon political expediencies and immediately take measures to ensure the direct implementation of the Court's decision and effectiveness".

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

Cyprus Press and Information Office: News Updates in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article