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Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English, 00-01-26Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation at <http://www.cybc.com.cy/>CONTENTS
WEDNESDAY 26 JANUARY 2000 [01] HEADLINES--- Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktash, insists on the recognition of his illegal regime in the Turkish occupied areas of the Republic.--- European Union Commissioner, Gunter Verheugen, said that separate accession negotiations with the Turkish Cypriot would not be accepted under any circumstances. --- Cyprus' chief negotiator for EU accession, George Vassiliou, said that the island is behind with its harmonisation process. And --- Russia has put its security forces on heightened alert in Moscow, for fear of terrorist attacks. [02] DENKTASHTurkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktash, appears to remain intransigent, despite optimistic evaluations internationally about prospects of UN efforts to solve the Cyprus problem.Mr. Denktash stubbornly refuses to discuss the territorial issue of the problem, before his illegal regime in the north is recognised. He also supports that based on the European Union Helsinki Summit decision, his illegal regime is one of the factors that will be taken into account for Cyprus' accession to the Union. Mr. Denktash claims that the invitation he received from German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer is an acceptance of the Turkish Cypriot regime. Britain has dismissed Mr. Denktash's claims. British High Commissioner to Cyprus, Edward Clay, told the CyBC that third parties are not allowed to become involved in Cyprus' relations with the European Union. [03] VERHEUGENEuropean Union Commissioner on Enlargement, Gunter Verheugen, said that the European Commission would not accept separate accession negotiations with the Turkish Cypriots, under any circumstances.Mr. Verheugen urged the Turkish Cypriots once more to participate in the accession negotiations being carried out with the Cyprus Government, stressing that it would be the Turkish Cypriots that would benefit the most from this process. The German Commissioner will visit Cyprus in March. During his stay, he is expected to meet with President Glafcos Clerides. Speaking in Brussels, Mr. Verheugen said that he would also meet with Turkish Cypriot leader, Rauf Denktash, if the Cyprus Government agreed. Mr. Verheugen said that Cyprus is way ahead of the other candidate countries, and that so far negotiations on 11 chapters of the acquis communautaire have been concluded. He also expressed hope that another 8 chapters will close during the Portuguese presidency of the European Union. [04] MAURERCyprus' chief negotiator for accession to the European Union, George Vassiliou, said that there has been a serious delay in the island's harmonisation with the 15-nation bloc in the sector of free movement of goods.He said the delay was due to differences between the Government and the House of Representatives regarding the department which will be in charge of adopting the relevant European directives. Speaking after the first round of talks with the EU team, led by Leopold Maurer, Mr. Vassiliou said that this issue must be solved within the next few weeks. Mr. Vassiliou noted that Cyprus has adopted about 900 conditions, and has still to adopt 9 thousand. He added that this matter is not about free movement of goods between the free areas of the Republic and the Turkish occupied north. Mr. Vassiliou also said that no ideas are being discussed regarding Turkish Cypriot involvement in the negotiations, as the official invitation is still valid. [05] TAKISMinister of Finance, Takis Klirides, is scheduled to meet with Greek Prime Minister, Costas Simitis, today in Athens, to whom he will give a checque of one million dollars, for the relief of people still suffering the consequences of the earthquake.The amount is just part of the help offered to Greece by the Cyprus Government. Mr. Klirides also met with his Greek counterpart, Yiannos Papantoniou, with whom he agreed to further promote economic cooperation between the two countries. The two Ministers also discussed the cooperation of the Cypriot and Greek stock exchanges, and Mr. Papantoniou accepted an invitation to visit Cyprus as soon as possible. Mr. Klirides returns to Cyprus this afternoon. [06] CLERIDESPresident Glafcos Clerides today received the leaders of non-parliamentary political parties, and discussed with them the latest developments in the Cyprus problem.The leaders of the Eurodemocratic Renewal Party, the Democratic Struggle Movement and the Reorganisation of the Centre group, briefed the President on their positions and asked to be included in National Council sub-committees, under the Attorney General. Speaking after the meeting, the leaders of the three parties said that they did not expect any serious developments in the Cyprus problem before May. The New Horizons and the Environmentalists did not participate in the meeting at the Presidential Palace. [07] RUSSIARussia has put its security forces on heightened alert in Moscow for fear of retaliatory terrorist attacks as the army presses its offensive against Chechen rebels.Russia says its much-criticised assault on Chechnya was launched nearly six months ago after rebels staged bomb blasts in Moscow and other cities. The rebels deny any involvement in the blasts. Last week, Acting President Vladimir Putin said Russia's security organs had information that further terrorist attacks were being planned. [08] WORLD IN BRIEFAnd now for a look at developments around the world in brief.- - - - Russia criticised threats by the European Union to apply mild sanctions over the Chechnya war and said Moscow would have to retaliate if it did so. - - - - Israel said that to ensure the success of peace talks Syria must rein in Lebanese guerrillas who yesterday killed their first Israeli soldier in five months. - - - - Israel's Trade and Industry Minister Ran Cohen said he believed the Jewish state would clinch a peace deal with Syria within the year, ushering in an era of economic cooperation in the Middle East. - - - - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak signalled another setback in peace moves with Syria when he put off indefinitely the departure of two experts to talks in Washington. - - - - Hans Blix of Sweden, a former director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, appeared likely to be appointed head of a new UN Iraq disarmament commission. He was proposed informally by France and a Western diplomat said he was acceptable to the United States. Russia was also said to be agreeable to his appointment. - - - - Five International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors left Iraq after the first United Nations look at the country's nuclear power and research plants for more than a year. - - - - Belgium and and six human rights groups hope to get a High Court ruling today ordering Britain to allow further medical tests on former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet. The action is a last-ditch effort to stop Britain freeing Pinochet on health grounds and letting him escape trial in Europe on torture charges. - - - - Jewish leaders praised Sweden for being open about its role in the Nazi era as delegates from 46 countries gathered in Stockholm for a conference on remembering the Holocaust. - - - - A guerrilla group fighting India's rule in Kashmir rejected a US official report that it was backed by the Pakistani government and linked with men who hijacked an Indian airliner last month. - - - - An Anti-Terrorism Court dismissed a plea from lawyers defending Pakistan's former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, to adjourn his trial until the Supreme Court ruled on the legality of military-led rule. [09] STOCKThe Cyprus Stock Exchange general price index dropped today by 8 units, and closed at 611,81 units.Total dealings reached 17 million 626 thousand pounds, compared to 18 million 96 thousand pounds yesterday. [10] ECONOMOUAn illegal court in the Turkish occupied areas of the Republic yesterday ordered that Panayiotis Anastasis Economou, who was abducted by Turkish troops on Sunday, be detained for another three days.Thirty-nine-year-old Economou, father of four young children, was abducted when he accidentally entered the Turkish occupied areas near the Derynia checkpoint. POPI Stage-manager Popi Daniel, former CyBC employee, died this morning at the age of 65. Daniel retired from the CyBC in 1994, having directed numerous plays, musicals, films and documentaries for the television. Her funeral will be held tomorrow, at 2.30 pm, at the church of St. Constantinos and St. Eleni in Nicosia. [11] WEATHERThis afternoon will be cloudy and chilly.Winds will be westerly to northwesterly, moderate to strong, four to five beaufort, and very strong to near gale force, six to seven beaufort, in windward areas. Seas will be moderate to rough, and very rough in windward areas. Tonight will be cloudy, with snow on the mountains and sleet inland. Winds will be northwesterly, moderate, four beaufort, and at times strong, five beaufort, over moderate to rough seas. Temperatures will drop to 1 degree inland, to 3 along the coast and to minus 5 over the mountains. Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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