Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English, 00-01-10

Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation at <http://www.cybc.com.cy/>

CONTENTS

MONDAY 10 JANUARY 2000

[01] HEADLINES

[02] KASOULIDES

[03] PARTY REACTION LYSSARIDES

[04] SERDAR ECONOMY

[05] CHECHNYA

[06] MIDEAST TALKS

[07] AVEROF CYTA

[08] CYTA RATES

[09] BASES BOREHOLES

[10] WEATHER

[01] HEADLINES

Political parties react to charges levelled against the President Clerides by EDEK Chairman Lyssarides;

The economy in the occupied areas of the Republic is reportedly going from bad to worse;

Russian troops suffer significant losses in Chechnya;

The current round of the Syro-Israeli peace talks appears set to end without any substantial progress;

Cyprus' Transport and Communications Minister notes the distinction between privatisation and liberalisation, while CYTA announces plans to cut its overseas rates;

British Base authorities render boreholes belonging to Cypriot farmers inoperational;

and ...

Activity at the Cyprus Stock Exchange continues its downward trend.

[02] KASOULIDES

Minister Kasoulides made the statement at Larnaka airport, on his arrival from Jerusalem, on being asked to comment on a newspaper article written by Greek Prime Ministerial advisor Yiorgos Pantayias, according to which the two communities in Cyprus should function within the framework of a state to be established through negotiations and with political parity and equal opportunities at all levels. Mr Pantayias also mentions that all possible constitutional proposals should be thoroughly examined and none rejected outright.

Cyprus' Foreign Minister stressed that neither Cyprus nor Greece are about to accept a confederal solution, but refrained from further comment until, he said, he has had a chance to read the article for himself.

[03] PARTY REACTION LYSSARIDES

Democratic Rally Chairman Nikos Anastassiades rejected the charges, saying that both the relevant briefing and the documents circulated among the island's political leaders indicate that President Clerides did not diverge at all from the unanimous 1989 National Council decisions nor did he deviate in the least from the set parameters.

AKEL Parliamentary Spokesman Andreas Christou refrained from commenting directly on the issue, and said that all matters arising are referred to his party's Political Bureau for discussion.

The Democratic Party's Deputy Chairman, Nikos Kleanthous, concurred with the EDEK position, adding that it is indeed regrettable that President Clerides's constant calls for unanimity and unity are contradicted by his actions and omissions.

United Democrats Chairman George Vassiliou also rejected the EDEK position, offering the assessment that no give-and-take took place in New York and that Dr Lyssarides' charges are totally unfounded.

[04] SERDAR ECONOMY

The pseudostate's economy was also touched upon by the leader of the Turkish-Cypriot Republican Turkish Party Mehmet Ali Talat, who claimed that following last month's upgrading of Turkey to an EU candidate-state, the safety of the Turkish-Cypriots is no longer under threat, and that the greatest threat currently facing the pseudostate is the state of its economy.

[05] CHECHNYA

Referring to weekend guerrilla attacks on the Russian-held towns of Argun, Shali and Gudermes, he accused the rebels of blatantly ignoring the gesture of goodwill, through which Russia's military held off attacks on the regional capital of Grozny because the fighting there threatened the lives of tens of thousands of trapped civilians.

With fighting reportedly continuing in Chechnya's second-largest city of Gudermes, Itar-Tass news agency quoted the Russian military command as saying that 26 servicemen were killed and 30 wounded in a day of fightin1g, making the losses the the highest toll incurred by the Russian troops for a single 24-hour period in the more than three-month campaign.

[06] MIDEAST TALKS

The US President visited the secluded venue five times during the past week, with the most recent being last night, when he, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Syrian Foreign Minister Farouq al-Shara met over dinner without, however, any word of any progress on the substance of the issues dividing the two neighbouring states. Commenting on the situation, US State Department Spokesman James Rubin was quoted by Reuters as saying that the current round was "pretty much concluded." Pressed on US expectations from the week of talks, Mr Rubin said he had no reason to change his view that a "core agreement" was improbable this time around.

The Israeli Prime Minister is scheduled to return to his country this afternoon, while the Syrian Foreign Minister is expected to follow, possibly tomorrow morning.

[07] AVEROF CYTA

Expanding on his position, Minister Neophytou stressed the need for changes in CYTA's current operational regime, emphasising that the semi-governmental organisation would flounder in a free-market environment, and noting that Cyprus is the only European country where telecommunications services are a monopoly.

In closing, Cyprus' Transport and Communications Minister said that the government supports the share capitalisation of CYTA with the state being the primary investor, but is also willing to discuss the matter of the state being the sole shareholder.

[08] CYTA RATES

According to the announcement, the changes will be effected gradually, between now and April 2001.

No details were available as regards telephone calls abroad, but it was disclosed that a single rate will be imposed on all domestic calls, with a decrease in intercity rates and an increase in local ones.

[09] BASES BOREHOLES

The action has led to a mass protest gathering of farmers outside Ormidhia, while the British authorities are also warning that they plan to render inoperational another 23 illegal boreholes in the area.

Agricultural organisations and farmers of the region have announced that they plan to hold a meeting to discuss the entire situation this afternoon.

CSE

The Cyprus Stock Exchange experienced a new drop today, while bourse officials are expecting the government to take corrective measures within the next few days.

At the close of today's trading, the General Price Index settled at just under 599 units, a dramatic drop of 63 units as compared to the end of last week.

Limited trading, with the volume barely reaching 20 million pounds, was observed in all sectors. Most affected was the tourist industry.

Financial analysts estimate that the bourse will recover within the next few days, following the liquification of profits observed recently.

[10] WEATHER

Clear skies will continue into this evening, leading to relatively low temperatures and the formation of frost in areas. Winds will abate to light northwesterlies, 2-3BF, on slight seas, while temperatures will drop to 1C inland, 3C in the south and east, 5C in the west and minus 2C on the higher reaches of the Troodos mountains.

The depth of snow on Mount Olympus is 20cm, and 15cm in Troodos Square.

Roads are open to all traffic, with the exception of the Prodromos-Troodos road, which is open only to vehicles equippped with snow-chains or four -wheel drive.

Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article