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Cyprus PIO: News Update in English, 03-10-29
From: The Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office Server at <http://www.pio.gov.cy/>
[01]Wednesday, 29 October 2003 Foreign Minister takes part in IGC
Ministerial meeting in Brussels
[02] Cyprus protests against airspace violations by Turkish military
aircrafts
[01] Foreign Minister takes part in IGC Ministerial meeting in Brussels
The Foreign Minister, Mr Georgios Iacovou, has participated in the third
Ministerial meeting of the Intergovernmental Conference (IGC), which is
discussing the European Union's future Constitution. The meeting, which
took place in Brussels on 27 October, was a follow up of the Heads of State
or Government meeting of 16-17 October. At the meeting, discussion focused
on the system of Council Presidency and Council formations, the scope of
qualified-majority voting, economic and financial issues, and non-
institutional matters. In his intervention, Mr Iacovou expressed support
for the proposals suggesting the expansion of Community competences in the
field of public heath and the inclusion of tourism as one of the Union's
auxiliary competences. He further raised the issue of Cyprus' vulnerability
in competing efficiently within the internal market due to its small size
and geographical remoteness from the EU centre. Along those lines, Mr
Iacovou requested the insertion of a special paragraph in the draft
Constitutional Treaty, which would point out the aforementioned particularities
regarding Cyprus' participation in the internal market. His suggestion was
backed up by Malta. Regarding the system of Council Presidency, Mr Iacovou
outlined Cyprus' proposal for the setting up of group-Presidencies,
composed of three member states each, to hold the Union's Presidency for a
period of 18 months. He pointed out that the particular system was the only
one that fully complied with the principles of equality, political and
geographical, and diversity. The next Ministerial meeting of the IGC will
take place on 18 November 2003.
[02] Cyprus protests against airspace violations by Turkish military
aircrafts
Cyprus' Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Andreas
Mavroyiannis, has strongly protested on behalf of the Cyprus Government
against new violations of the flight information region (FIR) of Nicosia
and the national airspace of the Republic of Cyprus by Turkish military
aircrafts during August, September and October 2003. In a letter of protest
addressed to the UN Secretary-General Mr Kofi Annan, dated 10 October 2003,
Ambassador Mavroyiannis said that the airspace violations were contrary to
international law as well as to Security Council resolutions on Cyprus.
"We sincerely hope that the Government of Turkey, taking into consideration
its international obligations, will refrain from further violations,
respect the sovereignty of the Republic of Cyprus and contribute substantively
to the efforts for a just and functional solution to the Cyprus problem, on
the basis of United Nations resolutions", he added. The letter will be
circulated as a document of the General Assembly, under agenda item 30, and
of the Security Council.
From the Republic of Cyprus Press and Information Office (PIO) Server at http://www.pio.gov.cy/
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