Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 02-12-19

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From: The Macedonian Press Agency at http://www.mpa.gr and http://www.hri.org/MPA.

CONTENTS

[01] DENKTASH: WE WILL CONTINUE GOOD WILL TALKS UNTIL FEBRUARY 28

[02] PAPANDREOU:EU HAS ALREADY ANSWERED

[03] AIR FORCE RECEIVES FIRST UPGRADED F-4

[04] CYPRUS:ACCESSION NOT LINKED TO SOLUTION

[01] DENKTASH: WE WILL CONTINUE GOOD WILL TALKS UNTIL FEBRUARY 28

One week after his representative departed from Copenhagen without signing the Annan proposal for the resolving of the Cyprus issue, Rauf Denktash now changes his position and is prepared to negotiate.

At a press conference today Mr. Dentkash stated that he would continue good will discussions on Cyprus until February 28. "We will continue good will discussions with Cyprus until the end of February. We hope that we will have recorded some progress till that day. This is our hope and what we will work towards. Getting a result depends on the good will of both sides" he underlined.

He also stated that they were prepared to negotiate an agreement, even if they ran the "risk of the Greek Cypriots representing the whole of the island in the EU".

[02] PAPANDREOU:EU HAS ALREADY ANSWERED

This issue has been raised in the past and it was rejected by reputable legal circles, and by the European Union itself.

I think that the essential answer is the decision of Copenhagen Summit for Cyprus' accession to the EU, stated Foreign Minister Giorgos Papandreou, commenting on the announcement of the Turkish Foreign Ministry, according to which the decision of the Copenhagen Summit on Cyprus, is characterized as legally and politically unacceptable.

[03] AIR FORCE RECEIVES FIRST UPGRADED F-4

The first aircraft produced by F-4E electronic system upgrade programme was turned over to the Greek Air Force by the Hellenic Aviation Industry (EAV) yesterday.

This programme concerns the modification of 35 aircraft of this type and gives them multiple operational capabilities. The main contractor of the programme is the German EADS. EAV undertook the production of the Group-A Kits used in the modification and the final installation and testing of the new system.

Israeli Elbit Systems participated in the programme and produced may of the parts, including the mission computer and the related software, as did many Greek companies that were responsible for the construction or modification of the system's parts.

[04] CYPRUS:ACCESSION NOT LINKED TO SOLUTION

The accession of Cyprus is a fact, and whoever questions it, is referred to the findings of the Copenhagen Summit, stated Commissioner Verheugen's Press Spokesperson, concerning the intense discussions that arose on whether Cyprus' accession is connected to the resolving of the political problem in Cypus.

When asked to clarify on Mr. Verheugen's statements on Cyprus' accession yesterday, the Press Spokesperson stressed that the EU and specifically the European Commission does not get involved in the ways in which candidate countries decide to confirm their accession, that is, whether they decide to hold referendums and how those will be formulated.

At the same time, he pointed out that the European Commission cannot say that the two communities of Cyprus have accepted the Annan proposal. Therefore, any possible complication from carrying out a simultaneous referendum on the accession and the solution is still something for the two communities to negotiate.

In a telephone communication with the Head of PASOK's EuroMPs, Giorgos Katiforis, Mr. Verheugen rejected the political exploitation of his words, and stated that the point of what he told the plenary session, was that both communities are responsible to judge, by means of a referendum, only if they want the terms their representatives agree on, to come into effect in the new state regime to arise from the agreement.

"Neither the communities nor their populations are the ones to judge the accession of the Cypriot Republic to the European Union. That will be decided on only through the procedures foreseen by the Constitution of the Cypriot Republic", stated Mr. Katiforis.

Initially, the heated discussions had been spurred by Mr. Verheugen's response to a question by Coalition MP, Alekos Alavanos, in which he had asked: "Let us suppose that the two parts of Cyprus reach a compromise based on the Annan proposal by February 28, as is the wish of the European Council. Based on the Annan plan there will be a referendum on accepting the political solution as well as the EU accession. If one of the two communities, i.e. the Greek Cypriot community, rejects the referendum, what will happen as far as the accession is concerned? Will we go back to the Copenhagen provisions which foresee only the accession of the Cypriot Republic?"

After pointing out that the EuroMP's question was hypothetical, Mr. Verheugen answered: "The UN peace plan includes a time chart. And this time chart foresees that at the end of the procedure, on the same day, the G/C and T/C communities will hold referendums, in which the two questions will be connected, meaning the question on accepting the resolving of the dispute and the question on accepting accession to the EU. Therefore, there cannot be someone in favor of EU accession but against a political solution to the Cyprus issue. Basically, when in a democratic proceeding the people decide against accession to the EU, we will be saddened, but as a democratic institution, we will respect it", concluded the Commissioner.

The Greek Foreign Ministry pointed out that the referendum foreseeing the Annan proposal does not concern Cyprus' accession to the EU.

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Panos Beglitis pointed out that referendums will be carried out in certain candidate countries, as is foreseen by their legislature.

"On the specific case of Cyprus, the referendum foreseen in the Annan proposal will only be carried out if no solution can be found. It is a referendum for the resolving of the Cyprus issue, not for the accession of Cyprus to the EU. The question raised in the Annan proposal concerns the terms and preconditions according to which accession will take place, if a solution is found", he mentioned.

The Opposition responded with ND Press Spokesperson Thodoris Roussopoulos: "During yesterday's pre agenda discussion in parliament, the PM reassured the parties and the Greek people, that Cyprus' EU accession is not in danger, by a possible negative outcome of the March 30 referendum on the approval of the solution plan. In the European Parliament today, Commissioner Verheugen, in response to a related question, directly connected the accession of Cyprus to the resolving of Cyprus' political problem.

This position creates a serious issue. The Prime Minister should immediately clarify it. Otherwise, his commitment in Parliament, yesterday, will fall into doubt. The response of the Foreign Ministry Press Spokesperson does not clarify the issue. Because the issue is not what will happen if there is no solution. The issue is, if a solution is agreed upon, do solution and accession come together in the referendum", he added.

Head of PASOK's EuroMPs Giorgos Katiforis accused Coalition MP Alekos Alavanos of trying to stain the national success of Cyprus' accession to the EU, by politically exploiting the Commissioner's statements.

Mr. Katiforis expressed his sorrow that a fighter such as Mr. Alavanos would, for minor political gain, fall to the level of prevoking questions, in order to mar this great national success.

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