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Cyprus PIO: News Update in English, 03-06-27
From: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at <http://www.pio.gov.cy/>
[01]Friday, 27 June 2003 Cabinet convenes to discuss progress of EU
harmonisation
[02] CoE Human Rights Commissioner holds contacts in Cyprus
[01] Cabinet convenes to discuss progress of EU harmonisation
An extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers took place yesterday,
under the chairmanship of the President of the Republic of Cyprus Mr Tassos
Papadopoulos, during which the process of harmonisation and implementation
of the EU acquis communautaire was assessed. Present in the Cabinet meeting
were, inter alia, the Coordinator for Cyprus' harmonisation with the EU, Mr
Takis Hadjidemetriou and the Attorney General, Mr Solon Nikitas.
In statements after the meeting, Mr Hadjidemetriou expressed certainty that
Cyprus would be ready, six months prior to accession, to respond to all
obligations flowing from the signing of the EU Accession Treaty on 16 April
2003 in Athens. Replying to questions, Mr Hadjidemetriou stressed that
although Cyprus appeared to be lagging behind on certain areas, that was no
longer the case since it was regaining the lead among the acceding
countries. Furthermore, speaking during a joint press conference yesterday
with the Head of the EU's negotiating team for Cyprus, Mr Leopold Maurer,
Mr Hadjidemetriou assured that all pending issues - environment, telecommunications,
energy, agriculture and rural development - would be settled in accordance
with the timetable envisaged by the Commission. He also said that the
last monitoring report for Cyprus by the Commission, to be issued in
November, would be positive.
On his part, Mr Maurer, who was concluding a visit to the island heading a
15-member Commission delegation, noted that he had received assurances that
all outstanding issues would be addressed on time. "I am sure that if
everything which has been promised during our visit is done, Cyprus will
again be the first of the new member states", he added. The EU official
noted that he had advised the Government and administration to proceed fast
in preparing the relevant laws, so that the House could pass all the
remaining bills before the summer break.
[02] CoE Human Rights Commissioner holds contacts in Cyprus
The Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr Alvaro Gil Robles,
who is on a five-day mission to the island to determine the status of human
rights on both sides of the divide, said his conclusions from his visit
would be included in a report, which would be submitted to the Council of
Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) and the Council of Ministers in
September. Speaking yesterday after a meeting with the Cyprus Justice and
Public Order Minister, Mr Doros Theodorou, Mr Robles said the report would
note the extent to which human rights were being safeguarded on the island.
He further said the report would include certain recommendations to the
Cyprus Government, and added that there would be a continuous collaboration
to ensure their implementation. The CoE official pointed out that there
were some issues which could change very soon through legal reforms, adding,
at the same time, that there was also the issue of effective implementation
by the authorities of the Republic. He concluded by noting the intention of
the Cyprus Government to proceed with the necessary reforms as quickly as
possible. For his part, the Justice Minister Mr Doros Theodorou said he had
a long and fruitful meeting with the Commissioner, during which he outlined
the government policy regarding human rights and heard Mr Robles' views and
remarks on the matter. "The Commissioner's suggestions on human rights and
the government policy on these matters will be fully implemented very soon",
Mr Theodorou noted.
Later yesterday, Mr Robles met with the Foreign Minister, Mr Georgios
Iacovou, with whom he managed to identify problematic areas and reach
unanimous conclusions on the process of recommendations, as the Commissioner
noted in statements after the meeting. Mr Iacovou said, for his part, that
he emphasised the need to include in every report and make reference to the
violation of human rights in Cyprus as a result of the 1974 Turkish
invasion and occupation. "The practice followed by some organisations which
remove these violations, such as the report of the US State Department
which presents the situation in the free and occupied areas without any
mention to the invasion and occupation, is not right", Mr Iacovou
stressed. In the afternoon yesterday, Mr Robles visited the Nicosia
Central Prisons. Today he was expected to meet the President of the
Republic, Mr Tassos Papadopoulos, and the House President, Mr Demetris
Christofias. He will also be visiting the occupied areas of Cyprus to
assess the situation there.
From the Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office (PIO) Server at http://www.pio.gov.cy/
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