Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 01-12-18

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Government to send relief to flooding victims in Achaia

[02] Greece welcomes decision to declare EU force operational

[03] Protopappas outlines PM's agenda for the week

[04] FM to tour Balkan countries

[05] Patriarch reiterates call for 'all-faiths' int'l conference; Condemns religious extremism in every faith

[06] Parliament begins debate on new state budget

[07] ND leader letter praises d'Estaing EU appointment

[08] Athens Journalists Union calls work stoppage

[09] 300,000 Bulgarians visit Greece after visa abolition

[10] U.S. embassy services payable in euros and dollars

[11] Euro coin kits a hit with the public, despite glitches

[12] European Commission ratifies directive on information rules

[13] Merger planned for Technical Olympic's US subsidiaries

[14] Stocks nose down in flaccid trade

[15] Budget for 2004-related projects under review next month

[16] Kenteris, Thanou voted best Greek athletes for 2001

[17] Supreme Court plenum on operation of temples of different religions

[18] Lord Hannay says Cyprus solution possible within the next six months

[01] Government to send relief to flooding victims in Achaia

Athens, 18/12/2001 (ANA)

Tsaklidis had just attended a meeting with Deputy Interior Minister Lambros Papadimas and Deputy Public Order Minister Evangelos Malesios on the floods in Achaia prefecture.

The deputy minister said that Environment, Public Works and Town Planning Minister Vasso Papandreou had also pledged that surveys for anti-flooding works for the Diakoniaris, which is believed to have claimed two lives over the weekend, would be complete in four months and a public tender would immediately follow.

Papadimas, on his part, said that all flooding victims would receive relief provided by laws to cover their immediate needs.

Meanwhile, a search launched in the western port city of Patras to find a 53-year-old man and his 9-year-old son, who were swept away by the Diakoniaris torrent on Sunday afternoon, have been fruitless.

Divers of the EMAK emergency rescue squad were unable to find Alexis Antonopoulos or his son, Yannis, despite an overnight search launched after the two were swept away Sunday afternoon by floodwater from the Diakoniaris torrent near Eglykada.

Government spokesman Christos Protopappas expressed sorrow on Monday at the tragic consequences of the rains in Achaia and the Ionian islands, while noting that extreme weather conditions were a natural disaster that was difficult to control. He admitted, however, that there were problems that needed to be dealt with and anti-flooding works that had delayed because of surveys that had not been up to scratch.

Patras and the entire prefecture of Achaia have been placed in a state of emergency as the torrential rainfall that started Sunday caused extensive damage, while the fire department was bombarded by calls to pump water out of flooded homes and shops.

To aid operations, 14 fire trucks and 40 firefighters were sent to Patras from Athens to assist the local contingent of 40 fire trucks and 200 firefighters.

A landslide on the Pouda-Kalavryta national highway cut off access on Sunday night, with the road cleared shortly after midnight.

Further landslides blocked the Dimitropoulou-Lakka-Toumba road and the Agios Konstantinos-Krini road, while the over-flowing waters of the Selinounda River threatened to make a bridge collapse in Egio, with traffic restored after midnight.

Landslides also cut off roads in Lambiri in Aigialia, with traffic restored at 2:30 am.

Six vehicles were trapped in the region of Leondiou, while 150 hectares of farmland were flooded.

Skandalidis: 500 villages cut off due to wave of bad weather: Several areas in Greece were in a state of emergency due to the bad weather that began over the weekend and looked set to continue until Wednesday, Interior Minister Costas Skandalidis said in a press conference after an emergency meeting with the general secretary of Civilian Protection Dimitris Papanikolaou on Monday.

The minister reported that up to 500 villages were still cut off and the airports of Thessaloniki, Evros and Ioannina were closed, while ships had been given the all-clear to sail on Monday except for those serving the Aegean islands of Hios and Lesvos. The government, he added, was doing everything possible to deal with the extreme weather conditions, while gargantuan efforts were being made to keep the road and railway networks clear.

Skandalidis advised the public to limit traveling as much as possible, however, since the next major problem would be frost and ice on the roadways, greatly increasing the chances of accidents.

The government's efforts were focused as a priority on restoring access to villages cut off by the bad weather, re-opening roads and supplying them with food, the minister added, while every available snow-clearing machine, as well as some rented ones, had been deployed for this purpose.

Next on the government's list, according to Skandalidis, were areas which the weather service expected to be worst hit on Monday and Tuesday, such as the Peloponnese, Crete, the Cyclades islands, the Dodecannese islands and, from Monday evening until Tuesday night, Attica.

Steps were also being taken to ensure the safety of residents in urban areas and those areas, which had faced problems in the past, such as northern Greece and Samos.

The minister said the government placed great emphasis on keeping citizens constantly and systematically informed on the phenomena, while where the situation became too bad for local authorities to control, a state of emergency would be declared in the area.

Skandalidis, who spent most on Sunday night at the General Secretariat for Civilian Protection monitoring developments, also asked the press to be scrupulous in crosschecking information with the secretariat's center of operations, to avoid misleading the public and making a difficult situation even worse.

N. Greece snowed under by worst weather in ten years: Northern Greece struggled to cope on Monday with the worst cold snap the region had seen for at least a decade, with hundreds of villages cut off by deep snow, which in some areas exceeded one meter. Even the country's second-largest city, Thessaloniki, was snowbound on Monday morning, with cars needing snow chains to negotiated the city center.

Despite efforts by state services to restore access to Thessaloniki roads, traffic was restricted in several areas as the worst snow seen by the city since December 1988 continued to fall and temperatures remained resolutely below zero.

Authorities in northern Greece were on the verge of declaring a state of emergency in certain areas, Macedonia-Thrace Minister George Paschalidis said on Monday, while to all effects and purposes they were treating the situation as if they had already done so.

Emerging from a meeting on how to coordinate the response of local authorities to the wave of bad weather, Paschalidis said that efforts were focused on keeping roads open, especially hospital access roads, and re-opening Thessaloniki's airport, while he said he was in touch with the general secretariat for civilian protection in Athens and other operations centers in northern Greece.

Very few public transport buses were out on the roads on Monday morning in Thessaloniki, inter-city buses had suspended all routes, schools, universities and technical colleges remained closed, while even some shops in the city center failed to open on Monday.

All Thessaloniki hospitals were on standby and were admitting emergency patients, while they reported an increase in people treated for broken bones after falls on icy pavements.

In Kavala, on Greece's northeastern coast, temperatures ranged from -10 C to 2C and incessant snowfall caused severe problems throughout the prefecture, cutting off access to several villages and making travel difficult.

Schools were closed by order of local authorities, while both Kavala airport and Alexandroupoli airport were snowbound. Ferries were ordered to stay in port due to gale force winds of 8-9 Beaufort in the northeast Aegean and Thracian Seas, apart from one tug that was sent out to the island of Thassos to pick up two women needing medical treatment.

Meanwhile, Kavala authorities ordered a snow-plough out to the village of Akrovouni on the slopes of Mt. Paggaios to rescue three people that called on a mobile to say they were trapped in a jeep in the snow. Another jeep was sent out to reach them by the State of Emergency Civilian Planning Service in Kavala, with orders to take them to the nearest village, while authorities were in constant phone contact with the three Kavala residents.

Further to the south in Trikala, prefectural authorities declared a state of emergency after most main roads, even in the center of the prefecture's capital, remained virtually impassable without snow chains after 24 hours and most secondary roads were closed.

Since Sunday night, meanwhile, traffic police have been turning heavy goods vehicles and cars without snow chains at Mourgani, on the Trikala-Ioannina road going over the Katara pass through the mountains.

Even further to the south in Thessaly, the snow had reached 30cm deep in the prefectural capital of Larissa, making snow chains necessary in the city, while problems were caused by trees fallen under the weight of snow, power cuts and downed telephone lines.

Thessaly authorities managed to keep the national highway open for cars with snow chains, however, from Tempoi to the borders of Magnissia and Fthiotida prefectures in spite of a snowstorm in the area.

[02] Greece welcomes decision to declare EU force operational

Athens, 18/12/2001 (ANA)

"We will continue efforts and initiatives [regarding EU relations with non-EU NATO members], because Greece wants a solution to be found that is compatible with its interests," he added.

Responding to criticism in the press that the government had delayed in responding to Britain's initiative for the European force, and the deal put together by the British side through negotiations with Turkey, the spokesman said that Greece had gone into action immediately after last year's NATO foreign ministers' meeting, with multiple initiatives and contacts that had not been made public.

He said that a meeting between Prime Minister Costas Simitis and British Prime Minister Tony Blair at an informal EU summit in Ghent two months ago had been crucial in preventing the UK-brokered text with Turkey from ever being officially submitted.

Protopappas said that many among Greece's EU partners accepted that Greek arguments were valid and for this reason had decided to deal with the entire issue through official EU procedures via the Spanish presidency, not through processes outside EU institutions.

Regarding criticism by the main opposition on the government's handling of the affair, Protopappas accused New Democracy of adopting an "irresponsible and dangerous" stance through its "particularly negative" statements, which he said had acted to undermine government efforts to defend the nation's interests.

[03] Protopappas outlines PM's agenda for the week

Athens, 18/12/2001 (ANA)

On Tuesday morning at 10:00 a.m. Simitis is scheduled to visit President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos to brief him on the results of the European Union summit in Laeken, following by a meeting on Tuesday 1:30 p.m. with PASOK central committee secretary Costas Laliotis.

On Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. the prime minister will receive a delegation from China and at 11:00 a.m. the same day he will head a ministerial meeting on the action program against drugs.

On Thursday morning at 10:00 a.m. there will be a meeting of the Cabinet to discuss the implementation of the 3rd Community Support Framework, while on Friday night the prime minister will give the closing speech at the end of the debate on the budget.

[04] FM to tour Balkan countries

Athens, 18/12/2001 (ANA)

Beglitis said that in recent talks between Papandreou and his Balkan counterparts in New York, on the sidelines of the UN's General Assembly, a wide exchange of views was made on these developments and invitations were renewed for the minister's visits to Balkan capitals.

He further said there are no plans for a visit to FYROM by Papandreou on Wednesday although, just as in the cases of the other visits to Balkan countries, it remains a strong possibility in the coming period.

Beglitis went on to say that Greece's position is known on the strengthening of bilateral relations with FYROM, particularly during this period, following the adoption of constitutional changes that have enabled the neighboring country to enter a new phase in its political life.

He said he is unaware, while there is no official invitation, whether FYROM's Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski will be visiting Greece.

In another development, Papandreou said in a statement to the FYROM-based newspaper "Dnevnik" that the dispute between Greece and FYROM, over the latter's name, is at the UN where negotiations are continuing.

According to an ANA dispatch from Skopje, Papandreou said that, compared to the latest report by the "International Crises Group", many proposals and indications have been made to date from various countries and organizations, but underlined that "a solution has not been found for the time being."

He pointed out that a solution acceptable to both sides should be found and until then it is important that the improvement in bilateral relations, which are already at a very good level, should continue.

On his part, FYROM Foreign Minister Slobodan Casule told reporters on Monday that the proposals by the "International Crises Group" are interesting and should be examined, adding that "a solution should be sought at the UN and in talks between the two countries."

[05] Patriarch reiterates call for 'all-faiths' int'l conference; Condemns religious extremism in every faith

ISTANBUL, 18/12/2001 (ANA - A. Kourkoulas)

In an interview here with the Athens News Agency (ANA), Vartholomeos, the "Primus inter pares" among Orthodox Patriarchs representing approximately 250 million Eastern Orthodox faithful around the world, also stressed that the initiative for an international conference amongst the world's religious leaders has been universally endorsed, something which, as he said, demonstrates the respect and trust the Patriarchate commands within the international community.

"We consider this undertaking very useful and necessary because it conveys an impression that religions are factors for unity, cooperation and solidarity for individuals and peoples, and not a divisive factor," the Patriarch said, stressing:

"After Sept. 11 I considered what religions must do to demonstrate their unity and their desire for cooperation against terrorism and in support of universal peace, just as we pray in every one of our Church's liturgies ... A view identifying Islam with terrorism was even momentarily given, something that for me is unjust," Vartholomeos said.

He countered that "extremist elements are everywhere", and that they should not be identified with any specific religion.

In backing his view, the Patriarch referred to other religious extremists, including ultra-traditional Orthodox Jewish sects as well as the practitioners of the medieval "Holy Inquisition" by the Catholic Church.

"Let us remember what happened with the Holy Inquisition, where they tortured and burned in the Middle Ages," he said.

"But even if we do not physically injure our fellow man, there are (Eastern) Orthodox zealots, extreme fundamentalists, who smear and revile - and this is a form of fundamentalism, of spiritual terrorism. They believe that in this way they will dissuade us, prevent us from holding a dialogue with the pope," Vartholomeos said in reference to extremist elements within the ancient Orthodox Church as well.

"In Brussels let us adopt a common text that includes all the principles and values shared by all religions so that the representatives of the religions will be able to sign it ... this will comprise a sort of plea towards our faithful, but also towards the rest of the world and to each and every person of good will to cooperate so that extreme and tragic incidents such as the ones of Sept. 11 are not repeated," he said only hours before departing for the Belgian capital to chair an inter-denominational conference entitled "Peaceful Co-existence and Dialogue Amongst the Major Monotheistic Religions".

The conference will bring together several high-ranking clerics and religious leaders representing the world's three major mono-theistic religions: Christianity, Islam and Judaism.

While in Brussels, Vartholomeos is scheduled to meet with Prodi and Euro-parliament president Nicole Fontaine. He returns to Istanbul on Dec. 21.

Initiative in the making: Vartholomeos said an initial thought was to hold such an "all-faiths" conference in Istanbul, similar to the "Peace and Tolerance" meeting of 1994 that also attracted representatives of the world's three major monotheistic religions.

The Patriarchate's initiative for such a conference gained momentum when Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou proposed an identical idea, while later promoting it with his counterparts in the European Union as well as garnering the backing of EU Commission President Romano Prodi.

The Patriarch said the Turkish government's director of religious affairs, Mehmet Nouri Yilmaz, was also approached by a Patriarchate emissary on the issue.

Vartholomeos added that the Patriarchate immediately adopted Papandreou's proposal "without any hesitation, because I believed in the usefulness of this initiative," he said, noting:

"The EU has placed our effort under its auspices, adding its prestige".

[06] Parliament begins debate on new state budget

Athens, 18/12/2001 (ANA)

Party leaders will be addressing Parliament on Friday, while the budget will be put to the vote at midnight of the same day.

The growth-oriented budget forecasts a rise in gross domestic product of 3.8 percent in 2002, double the European average despite an adverse global climate.

The budget also anticipates a surplus for the second straight year, and the public debt is due to maintain its gradual decline.

The budgets of ministries implementing social policy are to rise, with those involved in public order seeing an increase of 20 percent.

Ruling PASOK party rapporteur Theodoros Koliopanos said the 2002 budget was indicative of the positive results of the government's long-term policies, with immediate positive effects on social policy (strengthening of the social insurance funds, an increase in the budget of the education and health ministries, and a more just distribution of taxes), the implementation of Olympic Games projects with better prerequisites, the securing of the necessary resources for the implementation of development and investment programs.

Main opposition New Democracy (ND) party rapporteur Yiannis Papathanasiou was highly critical of the budget, accusing the government of shaping a budget, which did not correspond to the real picture of the Greek economy. He also referred to what he termed "our country's negative performances in the sector of transparency and the eradication of corruption and of the black economy."

Communist Party of Greece (KKE) rapporteur Nikolaos Gatzis spoke of an "anti-popular budget", adding that "it is moving strictly in the framework of the speedy promotion of capitalist restructuring for the benefit of the plutocracy and at the expense of everything positive which still remains of the accomplishments of the working class and working people."

The party's general rapporteur Angelos Tzekis was unable to attend Monday's debate on the state budget since bad weather conditions prevented him from coming to Athens.

Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspi-smos) rapporteur Panayotis Lafazanis said the budget was of an "anti-social and anti-development nature". He added that contrary to the government's claims, the weaker economic classes will be burdened with an increase in taxes ranging from two to seven per cent. On the other hand, he said, high-income earners and enterprises will benefit most.

[07] ND leader letter praises d'Estaing EU appointment

Athens, 18/12/2001 (ANA)

"For us Greeks, and especially for New Democracy, your name is closely linked with our accession to the European Community, while today it comprises a hope for the creation of a political Europe," Karamanlis' letter reads.

"Your European ideals, valuable experience and your authority will decisively contribute to a correct course towards European integration," the ND leader adds.

[08] Athens Journalists Union calls work stoppage

Athens, 18/12/2001 (ANA)

ESHEA also called on media employees to attend a gathering at the Academos Theatre at 1 p.m. where the crucial situation prevailing in the media sector will be discussed.

[09] 300,000 Bulgarians visit Greece after visa abolition

SOFIA, 18/12/2001 (ANA - B. Borisov)

According to the Greek embassy's consular affairs director, all-important figures on how many of the 300,000 or so Bulgarian nationals legally returned to their native country after entering Greece are pending.

"Greece's standing policy is to facilitate the free movement of Bulgarian citizens within the (existing) legal framework," diplomat Nikolaos Diktakis told local reporters and foreign correspondents here on Monday.

He warned, however, that non-EU nationals properly entering the country only to subsequently remain as illegal migrants or work illegally in Greece forfeit their legal standing.

Finally, consular officials said 15,000 Bulgarians have taken advantage of a bilateral seasonal labor agreement over the past year and a half to work legally in Greece.

[10] U.S. embassy services payable in euros and dollars

Athens, 18/12/2001 (ANA)

The U.S. dollar's parity will be 1.2 euros on January 1, 2002. This parity will be valid in costing consular services at U.S. consulates in the 12 eurozone countries.

As of January 1, 54 euros will be payable for a visa application, 48 for renewing an adult's passport and 30 for renewing a child's passport. The charge for replacing an adult's passport will be 72 euros and 48 for a child's.

Prices will be adjusted every month on the basis of the dollar-euro parity.

[11] Euro coin kits a hit with the public, despite glitches

Athens, 18/12/2001 (ANA)

Available until December 28, the kits were devised to allow the public to get used to the new European single currency that will be introduced in physical form on January 1.

At a cost of 5,000 drachmas, each pack contains the full range of euro coins worth 14.67 euros. Kits of up to 300 euros are also available for businesses.

Buyers complained that some bank branches had requested the identity cards or tax numbers of customers wishing to purchase the packs; and supplies in some banks were quickly exhausted.

In addition, a few branches claimed a commission on top of the 5,000-drachma sale price.

Coins in the pack may not be used in transactions until the currency's official launch when euro notes and coins will circulate in parallel with the drachma until abolition of the national currency at the end of February.

The Union of Greek Banks has published a leaflet to help the public familiarize itself with the new currency that will be available at banking branches.

[12] European Commission ratifies directive on information rules

BRUSSELS, 18/12/2001 (ANA - B. Demiris)

It is the first directive generalizing the obligation of businesses to inform and consult with staff. Directives existing so far deter-mined specific conditions in which firms were obliged to ex-change views with staff such as in the cases of collective dismissals or the transfer of ownership.

Commenting on the development, European Union Social Affairs Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou said "this directive gives the possibility of protection 'in all cases' for employees and, if used in the appropriate way, it can constitute a modern business tool. Businessmen conscious of their real interests are already taking measures to address these changes."

[13] Merger planned for Technical Olympic's US subsidiaries

Athens, 18/12/2001 (ANA)

The merger of the homebuilding firms will be carried out by Technical Olympic (USA) Inc., a member of the Greece-based firm.

The new company to emerge will later seek listing on NASDAQ or the New York Stock Exchange.

[14] Stocks nose down in flaccid trade

Athens, 18/12/2001 (ANA)

The general share index shed 0.35 percent to end at 2,562.82 points. Turnover was 102.8 million euros.

The FTSE/ASE-20 index for blue chip and heavily traded stocks ended 0.04 percent down; the FTSE/ASE-40 for medium capitalization paper 1.31 percent lower; and the FTSE/ASE-80 for small cap equities 1.08 percent down.

Of stocks traded, declines led advances at 236 to 88 with 31 issues remaining unchanged.

The most heavily traded shares were Hellenic Bottling HBC, Alpha Bank, Space Hellas, Public Power Corporation and Hellenic Tele-communications Organization.

Bond Market Close: Prices mixed in heavy trade: Bond prices in the domestic secondary market on Monday finished mixed in heavy trade again focusing on ten-year paper.

The Greek benchmark 10-year bond showed a yield of 5.22 percent, and the yield spread over German bunds was 36 basis points.

Turnover through the central bank's electronic system totalled 2.3 billion euros.

Sell orders accounted for around half of turnover.

Derivatives Market Close: Equity futures hold premium: Equity futures on the Athens Derivatives Exchange on Monday retained a premium despite downward pressure on the main market, traders said.

Changing hands were 4,352 contracts on turnover of 23.0 million euros.

The underlying FTSE/ASE-20 index for heavily traded stocks and blue chips shed 0.04 percent; and the underlying FTSE/ASE-40 for medium capitalization stocks fell 1.31 percent.

[15] Budget for 2004-related projects under review next month

Athens, 18/12/2001 (ANA)

Among others, the committee - chaired by Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis - approved the establishment of a new press center at the Zappeion Hall in downtown Athens to assist foreign journalists and sportswriters before the Games get underway in August 2004.

Additionally, Press and Mass Media Deputy Minister Telemachos Chytiris was given the go-ahead to create a high-ranking work group to coordinate Greece's overall media policy and 2004 promotion.

In another critical area, Chytiris said the budget for 2004-related projects will be reviewed in January, whereas other government sources later said that a "small increase" is more than likely. In opening the meeting, which included the participation of several ministers and the Athens 2004 organizing committee's (ATHOC) leadership, Simitis reviewed next year's targets and the deadlines that must be met.

Chytiris also said scaled-down IOC delegation will visit Athens on Jan. 21.

In other 2004 news, ATHOC unveiled its expanded website -- www.athens.olympic.org -- on Monday, featuring 1,800 electronic pages in Greek and English.

Calatrava: Finally, well-known Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava visited ATHOC's headquarters on Monday to submit his study for the unification of the OAKA sports complex, which includes the primary venues for the 2004 Games, including the Olympic Stadium where the opening and the athletics events will take place.

Submission of the study on Monday completes the second phase of the procedure, while the third and final phase -- according to the deadline -- comes on Jan. 30, 2002.

[16] Kenteris, Thanou voted best Greek athletes for 2001

Athens, 18/12/2001 (ANA)

The winners were announced at an event held at the Peace and Friendship Stadium in Piraeus on Monday in the presence of President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos.

Kenteris, Olympic gold medallist in the men's 200-metre sprint, received 1,651 votes. Vlassis Maras came second with 1,092 votes and Nikos Kaklamanakis third with 536.

Thanou, who won the bronze medal in women's 100-metre sprint in the World Championships in Edmonton, received 1,414 votes. She was followed by Mirela Maniani with 1,045 votes and Anastasia Tsakiri with 709.

[17] Supreme Court plenum on operation of temples of different religions

Athens, 18/12/2001 (ANA)

The Supreme Court's Penal Department has referred an appeal to the Supreme Civil Court's plenum submitted by Buddhist Hara Kalomoiri against a court ruling convicting her to two months imprisonment, with a three-year suspension, for operating a temple for her religion in Halkidiki without previously obtaining a license from the education minister, as anticipated by law 1363/1938.

The Buddhist's conviction was revoked by the Supreme Court's plenum and the case was referred to an appeals court for retrial, but with a different panel of judges.

[18] Lord Hannay says Cyprus solution possible within the next six months

NICOSIA, 18/12/2001 (CNA/ANA)

He also made it clear that the solution of the problem will have to be decided by the Cypriots themselves and not by any outsider.

Speaking after his meeting on Monday with House President Demetris Christofias, Hannay said "it's a good time to be here because there is a little bit of hope now while previously there was just a lot of frustration," noting that Cyprus' friends abroad have "unreservedly welcomed the rather courageous decisions taken by the two leaders which led to the meeting of the 4th of December and is now leading on to a negotiating process to begin on 16 January."

At their first face to face meeting in four years, on December 4 President Glafcos Clerides and Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash agreed to begin UN-led direct talks with no preconditions, with all issues on the table, and said they would continue to negotiate in good faith until a comprehensive settlement is achieved and that nothing will be agreed until everything is agreed.

Lord Hannay said that the EU Laeken summit had unreservedly welcomed these initiatives and added that "there is a real prize to be obtained which is to get a settlement under the UN aegis and see a reunited Cyprus join the EU."

He said he would be working for a settlement but pointed out that this issue is not for outsiders to settle but for the Cypriots.

"The future of the Greek and the Turkish Cypriots is going to be decided by yourselves and not somebody else," Hannay told journalists, explaining that outsiders have the task of "helping but not interfering with the peace process."

Asked if he believed whether it is possible to find a solution within the next six months, he replied "yes".

Hannay dismissed press suggestions that Britain has prepared proposals for the two sides, adding that it is not his job to do that. Denktash has said that the problem should be solved by June 2002, a statement President Clerides welcomed.

Asked whether he will be here during the negotiations, Hannay said he will be here "when needed."

On his part, Christofias said he had an in depth discussion with Lord Hannay about the latest developments in the peace process and expressed hope a solution can be found prior to EU accession.

"I have assured Lord Hannay that our side will show all the good will to help reach a settlement, as we need a settlement," Christofias said.

On Tuesday Hannay will have a working breakfast with President Clerides and later on meet Denktash.

Prior to his departure on Tuesday afternoon, Hannay will give a press conference.

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